


All's Fair In love

by The_Consulting_Werewolf



Series: The Krisho Whodunit Files [1]
Category: EXO (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), SHINee, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Crime Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Drama, F/M, M/M, Murder Mystery, Police Procedural, actually, hehe, inspired by the show Lewis on ITV, no smut at all because people are dying, or are dead, very little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-06-30 03:06:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15742914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Consulting_Werewolf/pseuds/The_Consulting_Werewolf
Summary: It is an age old tragedy. Junmyeon loves Yifan, he has been in love with him since freshman year. However, Yifan is in love with Minseok, someone he has known since his school days. Then, suddenly, everything in their quiet university town changes.A newcomer is found dead in the woods by the botanical gardens, a few days later Minseok is found dead there as well, an affair is exposed, reputations are destroyed and a secret kept hidden for fifteen years slowly unravels itself.





	1. The love that lasts longest is the love that is never returned

**Author's Note:**

> I have been binge watching Lewis and running on very little sleep. I really liked the episodes The Soul of A Genius and The Indelible Stain and decided to combine them into a Krisho murder mystery. Now, fair warning, I am going to focus heavily on the mystery and the interpersonal relationships of all the people involved and focus very little on the romance. I love writing mystery and love reading them more. So enjoy if you love whodunits and think Miss Marple is the BEST detective ever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title by W. Somerset Maugham

For a brief second, Junmyeon loses sight of the tall boy with the long silver hair. The movie hall is sufficiently crowded, after all it is a Marvel movie, which self-proclaimed nerd wouldn’t see it? Junmyeon had finally managed to drag Yifan out of his room and into the real world. Yifan is studying law and he just finished a semester exam and all he had been doing since it ended a week ago was sleep, stuff his face with junk food and repeat. Junmyeon was annoyed and he needed someone to accompany him to watch Avengers 3. Minseok wasn’t available, _again_ , so Yifan was the only option left.

Yifan is a giant nerd too, but he is a lazy nerd. He had been content waiting for the movie to hit Netflix rather than physically move and watch the movie. But Junmyeon wasn’t having any of it. Thus, he dragged his lazy ass of a roommate on this fine Monday night to the movies with promises of popcorn and ice cream.

Junmyeon and Minseok are studying medicine and they met first day in class three years ago. Minseok had been looking for a roommate with his childhood friend Yifan, who had enrolled in the university to study law, and Junmyeon agreed. The three became quick friends and Junmyeon was fine till he started realising a few things.

One, Yifan was in love with Minseok and the latter definitely didn’t know. Junmyeon noticed it right away, the way Yifan’s gaze would soften, his lips would quirk up in a barely there smile whenever he managed to make Minseok laugh. And two, somewhere along the way, in the three years, Junmyeon himself had started to fall for Yifan. Now, he knows Yifan would never look at him the way he looks at Minseok, so, Junmyeon bites it down, the frustration and the jealousy that gently simmers under the surface.

He finally spots a lanky frame in a red hoodie and he cries, “Fan! Here!” Yifan turns around and the smile he sends Junmyeon’s way renders the latter a bit breathless. Yifan is unfairly good-looking, even when he puts the least effort like tonight. He has his long hair tied up in a bun and he is dressed in his washed-out hoodie and shorts. The flip flops would put anyone off, yet on his feet, Yifan makes it work. He waves his hand and pushes through the crowd.

“Hey,” Yifan huffs as he swings a hand around Junmyeon’s shoulder. “You are so short, I thought I lost you!”

Junmyeon giggles, trying to ignore the comfortable weight on his shoulder. He knows Yifan is just doing that to ensure Junmyeon doesn’t float away from his side again, but he cannot help himself when he shifts a little, presses himself close to take in Yifan’s warmth, and the soft laundry smell that perpetually lingers on all his clothes. Yifan doesn’t seem to notice as he happily chatters on about possible theories regarding the movie, dragging Junmyeon along.

They are waiting in line when Yifan’s phone pings. Yifan digs his phone out of his pocket and finds a message that makes him smile a little. He types a reply and beams down at Junmyeon, “Minseok texted, he wants us to join him for drinks.”

Junmyeon tries to compose his face, from letting the frown trying to fight his smile. He nods his head and swallows, breathing deeply to tame the bubbling jealousy in his guts. He thought he would have Yifan all for himself tonight, but no, Minseok had to ruin that too.

He hates Minseok, as the line moves and they enter the screening hall. But mostly, right now, he hates himself. He is trying hard to stop this feeling, he made an online dating profile, tried one night stands, but his love and desire for Yifan refuses to leave him alone.

Yifan gets comfortable beside him on the seat and Junmyeon can see his excitement for the movie on his face, his wide, gummy grin. Junmyeon’s heart would melt whenever Yifan smiled this big, but right now, he detests it, even hates Yifan a little for making him feel like this in the first place.

He leans back in his seat and grabs a fistful of popcorn. He eats them one by one as the movie begins. He thinks how he can never compare to Minseok, can he? Kim Minseok, perfect student, is clever, beautiful and terribly witty and everyone seems to love him, from the student body to the faculty. And then there he is, always second best, his cheeks are too chubby and no one laughs at his jokes (Yifan does sometimes, perhaps that’s why he liked him). He gnashes his teeth, his molars crushing that one unpopped piece of corn kernel always present in handfuls of popcorn to mush in his mouth as he seethes, but deep inside.

Junmyeon keeps up his facade throughout the movie, his mind only half on the movie. He hears sniffles all around him and realises people are dying on the screen. He starts to pay attention then but his mind is still back at the soft, radiant smile. But he manages to see the movie till the end and Yifan looks a bit upset and he whines, “Can you believe I have to wait a year to know what happened!”

Junmyeon chuckles as they make their way out, “There, there, a year will be gone in a blink of an eye!”

They decide to cycle to the bar that’s every student’s favourite joint, famous for its cheap beer, cheaper soju and even cheaper finger food that actually doesn’t taste as noxious as the college cafeteria food. At a red light, Junmyeon looks up at the stars and says, his voice wistful, “Can’t we just look up at the stars all night…”

Yifan laughs, “No thank you, I don’t need a sudden existential flu.”

Junmyeon laughs along and he hopes Yifan doesn’t notice the bitterness in it. They enter the bar and a few of Yifan’s classmates spot him, hollering at him to join. Thankfully, Junmyeon knows a few of them, so he doesn’t mind. Drinks are ordered and more bowls of peanuts are placed on the table, sploshed with beer and flecked with the burgundy skins of the nuts. Junmyeon talks with his acquaintances but he doesn’t miss the way Yifan keeps glancing at his watch. His jaw tightens and he almost crushes the peanuts in his hands. He throws them in his mouth, hoping no one notices his sudden aggressive behaviour. Thankfully, the girl beside him doesn’t and promptly puts her head on his shoulder, giggling softly.

Thirty minutes pass and Junmyeon feels the need to pee, so he steps up, gently putting Wheein’s head on her girlfriend’s shoulder instead, and heads for the bathrooms at the back. He finishes his business quickly and as he is walking back, down the balcony that wraps around the right side of the small two-storeyed building, he hears voice from the alley under it. He immediately recognises the voice and when he looks down, he claps a hand over his mouth to stop gasping aloud when he takes a peek. He pulls back when he sees the two men kissing—he recognises both men. He knows who they are, and the sudden acquiring of this knowledge leaves his entire body burning. He steps back inside the seating area and joins his friends, some of them drunk, some of them on their way to inebriation. Yifan takes another glance at his watch. Junmyeon breathes, deeply, counts to ten.

The door opens and Minseok steps in, all smiles and sparkly eyes. Yifan’s eyes light up too and he waves Minseok over. Yifan makes space for the latecomer and Junmyeon almost feels the bile rise when he sees Minseok and Yifan sitting with their shoulders pressed against each other.

But then, Junmyeon remembers what he saw in the alleyway. He picks his drink, the gears in his brain slowly turning.

 

Minseok knows he is running late, but he needed this book and he hops from one foot to another as he waits for the librarian to check his book out. After what felt like an eternity, Minseok finally receives his book. He bows and cries, “Thank you Mrs Jung, see you tomorrow!”

Mrs Jung waves him goodbye and Minseok runs out of the building. He knows he was the one proposing for drinks at the bar because he does feel guilty for ignoring his friends and roommates. But between his studies and his upcoming internship, and his secret relationship, he knows he has been ignoring them. So, he made a conscious effort today and now _he_ is late!

He is walking across the parking lot when a loud honk startles him. He turns around to see a car flashing its light right into his face. He squints and sees a figure emerging from the car. Minseok rolls his eyes when he recognises the figure— Professor Lu Han from the Genetic Department.

The older man smiles, his handsome face wrinkling and Minseok shakes his head, a small smile on his own face. Lu Han asks, “Going somewhere Mr Kim?”

“Just going for some drinks with friends,” Minseok answers as he closes the distance between them. The parking lot is empty at this hour so Minseok isn’t too wary as he rises on his toes and chastely kisses Lu Han. This is why his relationship is secret— he is dating a teacher, a man twenty years his senior—most importantly, a married man.

Minseok pulls back and Lu Han grabs his waist and pulls him for a less tender kiss. Minseok sighs into the kiss as Lu Han’s hands roam all over his back, pushing him closer, so close that Minseok can feel the thud of his heartbeat against his chest. His lips are chapped but Minseok doesn’t mind, they still drive him mad with want every time.

He doesn’t know how this happened, but as soon as Professor Lu Han returned from his sabbatical to teach at Yeungnam University again, Minseok was ensnared by the impish yet mature face, the brilliance of his mind and above all, the way when their hands brushed the first time and something akin to electricity shot up his spine. Lu Han pulled him back after class one day and before Minseok could fathom, he was being kissed senseless by the older man.

Minseok pulls back from the kiss, trying to push air back into his lungs. Lu Han dips his head and kisses down his neck, lightly nipping at his skin, making Minseok giggle. Lu Han leans back and cups Minseok’s face as he whispers, “Did I ever mention how much I love your smile?”

“Oh shut,” Minseok presses his forefinger on Lu Han’s mouth. “You are so embarrassing.”

“Only for you love,” Lu Han says, his eyes gleaming as he grabs Minseok’s wrist and presses his lips on his pulse. He asks, “Now, can I drop you to the bar?”

“Yes, but drop me at the back, okay?”

“Of course.”

Lu Han runs around the car, opening the door for Minseok. The younger man giggles again, and slides inside the car, not before kissing Lu Han’s cheek in thanks. Lu Han drives him to the bar, one hand on the wheel and other laced with his. The car stops under the balcony overlooking the dim alleyway. Minseok peeks outside and when he deems it empty, he steps out of the car. Lu Han too gets out and grabs Minseok by the waist again, slightly startling him, “Lu Han!”

Minseok thinks he hears something, he turns his head to look up, his heart thudding painfully in his chest, but before he can look harder, Lu Han cups his face and kisses him, soundly.

When he pulls back, Minseok feels like his head is lighter and he is floating on air. Lu Han knows _how_ to kiss, that Minseok can never deny. He softly chuckles before kissing Lu Han’s chin and whispering, “Night, I love you.”

Lu Han smiles back, his voice equally soft and reverent, “Night, and don’t drink too much, I love you too.”

Minseok finally detangles himself from the embrace and walks up the stairs to the bar. He spots his friends soon enough and Yifan is all smiles as he waves them over. He gets squashed beside Yifan’s large frame but he doesn’t mind. Junmyeon sends him a smile and nod as well before waving at the waiter for drinks. Junmyeon pouts, “You are late!”

Minseok laughs, “Sorry, I came walking you know and the weather was so nice!”

Minseok sees something flash in Junmyeon’s eyes, but it is gone before he can pinpoint what it exactly is. Yifan joins in, “Min, don’t walk around by yourself at night! What if someone kidnaps you? You are so tiny!”

Minseok laughs, throwing his head back. He cups Yifan’s face and squishes his cheeks as he says, “And who will save me, you? You can’t even open a jam jar!”

Everyone around the table laughs until a small sound of glass breaking is hard. All heads turn to look at Junmyeon, who has dropped his soju glass on the floor. He hiccups, his face flushed red, “Oops.”

Minseok reaches forward, trying to stop Junmyeon from picking up the broken glass. He thinks he sees Hyejin calling someone to clear the floor. Minseok grabs Junmyeon’s hand, small and soft, and asks, “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

Junmyeon shakes his head, his face breaking into a shy, apologetic grin, “Nah, I didn’t hurt myself. I am so clumsy.”

Minseok smiles; yeah, he knows. Junmyeon has an unfortunate habit of running into things in their small apartment all the time. Yifan and Minseok almost decided to child-proof the house one day; Junmyeon pouted petulantly in defiance that day. Minseok heart warms as Junmyeon hiccups again and covers his face, his cheeks tinted a bright pink. He wonders why despite being this cute, Junmyeon doesn’t do anything about that dating profile. He picks up his drink and makes a note to himself to do something about that.

 

“Welcome back, hyung,” Yixing says, shaking the hand of the man in front of him. “We have missed you here.”

The man, Choi Minho smiles back, his smile still as charming despite the addition of smile lines, “It feels good to be back. I missed the academics.”

Zhang Yixing, head of the Genetics Department, sits down on his chair and beckons Minho to do the same. Minho is back after a hiatus from teaching and he has rejoined the Medicine College as a teacher in the pharmacology department, after he spent enough time in big drug companies. He was the perfect choice for the role and since Yixing knew him, kind of, he decided to welcome man back.

Yixing presses on the intercom and orders, “Bring in some tea Miss Bae.”

Minho tries to wave it off but a woman enters the office anyway after a few minutes. Yixing launches into an article he had read recently, his eyes trained on the desk, his hands rustling papers. Her tea tray shakes when her eyes land on the man on the chair. Yixing doesn’t notice that, he also doesn’t notice the way Minho sits up straighter in his chair when Joohyun enters. Yixing doesn’t notice how Joohyun’s hand shakes as she pours tea for her boss and his guest. Yixing doesn’t see the way Minho’s nostrils flare as he silently heaves at the presence of this woman.

When Yixing does looks up from the journal he was talking about, Joohyun is gone and Minho is staring at the rug at his feet. Yixing whips off his glasses and asks, “Anything the problem, Minho hyung?”

Minho shakes his head. “No, no. This tea reminded me of my wife all of a sudden.”

Yixing’s face crumples, a small, dignified, sympathetic smile graces his face. “Ah, i still feel so bad for Yoona noona. She fought so hard.”

Minho smiles, a bit bittersweet, “You remember her?”

Yixing nods, “A little. I was still a resident then, but I remember her coming to the teaching hospital’s garden often. She single handedly made those roses bloom that year!”

Yixing breaks into subdued laughter and Minho joins, “Yes. It was quite the blow to her when she couldn’t step out into the sun again.”

Yixing nods again. Choi Yoona, the then most popular teacher’s wife. A resplendent queen in her own small kingdom. Every other spouse of the faculty paled in comparison to her. She was not only beautiful, but kind, thoughtful and she loved the garden, she truly did. The teaching hospital garden was her child, the Choi couple never had any children, and she poured all her love and time into it. Her diagnosis of skin cancer was a true tragedy.

Yixing’s phone pings with a message and he picks it up to see it’s from his husband. He quickly types a reply back and smiles when he sees Minho quirking an eyebrow. Yixing explains, “It’s Lu Han, he’s home early.”

“Ah, right,” Minho nods. “I remember Lu Han, so you two married now?” Yixing nods, Minho’s smile widens, “That’s great! Damn, I missed so much, didn’t I?”

Yixing shakes his head, his smile becoming a bit tight and closed off, “I don’t think you missed much hyung.”

 

That night as Junmyeon, Yifan and Minseok drunkenly make their way home, and Yixing and Lu Han eat their dinner making ridiculous small talk, Minho lay awake in his new lodgings. He had sold off the house he used to live with Yoona of course. It only made sense then, he was planning to never return after all. But this apartment is too empty and too new. He can smell the plaster and the paint and whole _newness_ of it. He can feel it, sinking into his skin, the shadows of the night dancing against the walls, pouring from the skylight above. He doesn’t know why he returned, he just thought he needed to.

Suddenly, he hears a gentle tap on his door. He jumps down from his bed, his heart racing. He pads towards his door and when he takes a look through the peephole, he gasps. He opens the door, the woman on the other stands there with her hand raised, her lips parting. In the dim light of the corridor, Minho is blown away by how beautiful Bae Joohyun still is.

She says, “Can I come in?” Minho nods; she steps in, her fingers twisting the hem of her t-shirt. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and Minho thinks that age has been kind to her, much kinder to her than it had to him. He sighs as he closes the door, “You didn’t even look at me at Yixing’s office.”

Her head snaps up, her eyes flash in anger as she almost shouts, “What did you want me to do? Run up to you and kiss you?”

Minho inches closer, crowding her, pushing her back to the door. He growls, “Then, what the fuck are you doing here?”

Joohyun licks her lips as she cups his face, her thumb running over his plush lower lip. Her voice trembles when she murmurs, “What do you think?”

Minho inhales, her perfume fills his lungs and when he exhales, he notices her face is much closer to his than before. He curls his fingers around her neck and brings his mouth crashing onto her. She whimpers in his arms as she wounds her limbs around his back, her finger clawing at his back, wanting to push him closer to her body. Minho doesn’t deny and relents, crushing her between his body and the door. Joohyun doesn’t mind as years and years of desire bursts through the floodgates, and Minho takes it all in, relishing it, losing all of his senses in it, like he had done all those years ago.

They pull back and Joohyun grins, “Welcome back professor Choi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo, please tell me how this is. i am kinda nervous, i have never quite dealt with sort of genre before eheh


	2. From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is by Socrates

Minseok walks into the kitchen to find Junmyeon already awake and putting jam on his toast. Junmyeon smiles and points at the little red French Press, “I prepared what I think will only be the first cup of coffee for today.”

Minseok chuckles and sits down. Junmyeon pushes another plate of toast towards him and Minseok gratefully takes it, getting to slather butter all over the bread. Junmyeon sips his green tea as he puts on his glasses to go through his notes. Minseok chews his toast, swallowing it before he says, “Hey, Junmyeon, what happened to that guy? From the music college?”

Junmyeon frowns, “Namjoon?”                        

“Yeah,” Minseok nods, pushing the press down. “He was crushing on you so hard.”

Junmyeon smiles, sardonic and his eyes lose the spark in them. Minseok scowls, wondering what untold thing did he say for Junmyeon to turn off like that. Junmyeon slowly answers, “He wasn’t my type.”

Minseok wants to know more but right then, the back door flies open and Yifan enters, fresh from his early morning run. Junmyeon glances at him for a half a second before returning to his note. He had seen the way Yifan smiled a good morning at Minseok and Minseok only. He is just invisible when Minseok is around, isn’t he? He could very well become one with the wallpaper and Yifan wouldn’t even bat an eye. He gnashes his teeth and tries to calm himself down. Today is his first day of internship, he needs to be level headed.

Yifan wipes his face with the cuff of his sweatshirt and says, “Hey, Min, why don’t you come with me to run anymore?”

Minseok pours his coffee into his cup and wraps his fingers around it. He shakes his eyes, his smile on full blast, “Nope, not going back to having mini heart attacks everyday. I think I will stick to my swimming for now.”

 Yifan chuckles, running his fingers through his hair. His fingers disturb his tight ponytail and a few strands escape, framing his face. Junmyeon tears his wandering gaze away again. Minseok yawns and announces, “I will go get ready now. We will go together, okay?” He addresses the last bit to Junmyeon, who nods as he wipes the bread crumbs off the corner of his lips.

Minseok leaves the kitchen and Yifan takes his seat; Junmyeon watches the way Yifan’s gaze lingers on Minseok till he disappears into his bedroom. Junmyeon says, under his breath, “Maybe I should start running every morning.”

Yifan nods, “Yeah, you should if you want to! Just get out and start walking really, really fast.”

Junmyeon smiles, his grip tightening around his cup. Yifan hums a song as he stands up, walking towards his room. Junmyeon feels the burn of unshed tears prickling behind his eyes. What was he thinking? That if he expressed a desire to go running, Yifan would ask to accompany him? Junmyeon breathes, deeply, trying to not cry on such an important day.

So, instead, he grabs his phone, turns on the new untraceable SIM and sends a text.

 

Junmyeon notices Minseok’s agitation in the car and he asks, “Hey, you okay?”

Minseok composes a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, but he shakes his head, his trademark grin in place, “Nothing, just nervous. I heard we are getting a hotshot resident today from Seoul.”

“Oh?” Junmyeon asks, grinning. “That’d be interesting.”

They roll into the parking lot and find an empty space after some minutes. They walk towards the hospital and find a crowd of interns like them, already dressed in scrubs, mill about with their notebooks and hopeful little faces. Junmyeon swallows; today is the day, his first step into his career in medicine.

There is chatter and both Minseok and Junmyeon hear a piece of gossip that catches their attention. Both instinctively move closer because who denies some harmless gossip every now and then? A girl says, in a hushed whisper that’s doing nothing to contain her voice, “So, Dr Park is from Seoul, right? But I hear he used to go here too! And he had a fiance in college, someone named Baekhyun or something. I hear this fiance died, of a drug overdose!”

By now, plenty of people had leaned in to get an earful, they all gasp. Minseok and Junmyeon share a glance, their eyebrows raised high. The chatter suddenly dies down when a tall man with a stony expression and large ears walks up towards them. His white coat flaps behind him, rather ominously, and he hears plenty of people swallow. Dr Park looks intimidating as hell.

Dr Park stops in front of them and he scowls, his eyes grazing over everyone, his gaze lingering on all twelve interns, judging. He suddenly says, his deep voice surprising them all, “Follow me!”

They all scramble behind Chanyeol, who’s six feet and above, and his strides are huge and both Minseok and Junmyeon find it hard to keep up with him. The day soon passes by in a blur and everyone is bone tired and thoroughly frightened by Dr Park. The man was going to make them work hard, he has promised them. Junmyeon wanted to cry when he gave them the call time of five in the morning next day. Minseok rubbed his arm, frowning, “What is his problem? Really.”

One of the other interns, a classmate, Hongbin answers, “This nurse said that he wasn’t always like this.”

Junmyeon quirks an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Yeah, she was here when he was an intern here, like what, fifteen, fourteen years ago, and she said he was the happiest boy around.”

Minseok scoffs, “After today, I find that extremely hard to believe.”

Hongbin chuckles, “Same!” Someone calls him and he bids his classmates a goodbye before joining them.

Minseok and Junmyeon lag behind, their feet aching as they make their way to the entrance. They are walking to the parking lot when they hear noises. Someone, or more than one someone, is shouting and cursing. Minseok jerks forward when he recognises the voice, “It’s Dr Park!”

Junmyeon opens his mouth to question Minseok, but the latter has already started sprinting towards the noise. Junmyeon groans but follows. The parking covers two sides of the entire hospital; they were parked on the front while the sounds are coming from the back. When Junmyeon is about to cut around the corner, Minseok halts him, pushing his arm forward to stop Junmyeon. Minseok shakes his head and puts a finger on his lips, pushing them both back behind the wall. Junmyeon frowns, but then he peeks ahead to see Chanyeol and Minho locked in a struggle.

Chanyeol has his hands on Minho’s collar while the latter tries to wrench the taller off him. Chanyeol roars, “How dare you return? You fucking, lying bastard!”

Minho shouts, “Let go of me Park!”

“You killed him! You fucking killed him!” Chanyeol shouts and both interns are surprised to see tears running down his cheeks.

Minho’s face twists in agony but clears up soon enough as he says, “No, you know he died of an overdose!”

“Baekhyun never touched a drug you fucking son of a bitch!” Chanyeol shouts back, the veins on his neck popping.

Junmyeon covers his mouth, his eyes wide in shock. Minseok looks at him, his expression mirroring Junmyeon’s. They are confused, really baffled by what they are witnessing. What does Dr Choi have to do with Baekhyun’s death? They hear a door opening and Junmyeon recognises the woman stepping out. She rushes towards the two men and screams at them to let go of each other. Chanyeol, now that he realises he has a witness (Junmyeon and Minseok are still hiding behind the wall), lets go of Minho, but not without throwing one glare at his direction.

Minseok whispers, “That Bae Joohyun right? Professor Zhang’s secretary?” Junmyeon nods; but then he frowns when he sees Joohyun hugging Minho, rubbing her hand soothingly over his back. Junmyeon asks, “They know each other? Didn’t Dr Choi arrive yesterday?”

Minseok shrugs; they just witnessed something entirely too strange for them. He grabs Junmyeon’s elbow and murmurs, “Let’s just go home?”  

Junmyeon nods, he had enough excitement for the day. As they get inside the car, Minseok says, “Let’s order in tonight? I feel too lazy to cook.”

Junmyeon chuckles as he puts the seat belt on. “Agreed.” He grabs his phone and calls Yifan, who answers in a few rings. Junmyeon asks, “Did you have dinner?” When Yifan confirms in negative, Junmyeon says, “Okay, we will bring you dinner.”

Minseok asks after Junmyeon is done with his call, “Yifan?” Junmyeon nods. “What did he want?”

“He is fine with anything,” Junmyeon replies and yawns.

“I feel Indian,” Minseok hums. Junmyeon gives him a thumbs up and closes his eyes.

Junmyeon was napping lightly, so when the car stops, he bolts awake. Minseok is stepping out of the car and Junmyeon follows. Minseok consults with Junmyeon and orders their food, “Three naans, one butter chicken and oh, if you have some phirni left, pack two please?”

The man writes it all down and he is about to head back into the kitchen when Junmyeon stops him. He smiles, “And don’t put the coriander garnish on one of the naan, please.”

“Sure,” the man nods.

“Thanks.”

When the man leaves, Minseok laughs, “Right, Yifan doesn’t like coriander.”

Junmyeon smiles; he knows what Yifan likes and doesn’t after all. His fingers in his pocket run over the screen on his phone. When Minseok walks ahead, admiring the paintings hung on the wall, Junmyeon quickly brings out his phone and types a message through that untraceable SIM again.

 

_You fucking slut. Do you suck the teacher’s cock to get the highest grade in class?_

Minseok gets another message as he walks down the ER ward. His heart races and anger swells inside him, followed by shame. He has been getting messages like this for the last two days. Someone knows, somebody in Yeungnam University knows he is having an affair with Lu Han. His blood runs cold the next moment. This cannot end well, he feels his hand shake as he closes the app and stares down at his wallpaper. A second later, another message pops up on his phone. Minseok almost cries in despair before he realises it is from Lu Han, asking him about grabbing lunch. Minseok types a reply and walks out of the ward. He was on a break anyway and the college isn’t far from the hospital.

He reaches Lu Han’s office and his gaze lingers on the closed door of Yixing’s office. He swallows as he wonders. He pushes the door open and he feels a hand on his wrist dragging him forward and then pushing him against the door. Lu Han kisses him and Minseok allows himself to respond as eagerly before he pushes Lu Han back and rasps out, “Really? Your husband’s office is right there!”

Lu Han grins, “He is out for lunch.”

Minseok presses his lips. “Of course, that’s why you called.”

Lu Han turns his mouth upside down and gives Minseok his best puppy eyes, “Oh come on, I do have your favourite food.” He points at the food spread out on the coffee table, the steamed buns and kimchi soup beckoning Minseok and his stomach grumbles. Lu Han laughs and Minseok allows the older man to draw him into a hug. Minseok sighs and Lu Han picks up on it, his hands soothing over his back, “Park giving you hell?”

“That, and…” Minseok bites his lips. Should he tell Lu Han? Before he can decide, Lu Han cups his shoulders and gently coaxes him out of his embrace to look at him. “What is it?”

Minseok hasn’t deleted the messages though he wanted to, so he opens it and thrusts the phone under Lu Han’s nose. Lu Han looks at him in confusion before reading the message, “I know what you are doing. Fucking a married man,” Lu Han’s eyes widen, his breathing becomes heavy as he looks at Minseok, who flops down on the couch, “What is this Minseok?”

Minseok shakes his head. “I don’t know, I don’t know Han. I have been getting these messages since yesterday.”

“Somebody knows?” Lu Han murmurs, asking himself as he sits down beside Minseok.

Minseok picks up a steamed bun only to put it back in its container again. He asks, his voice low, “Do you think your husband knows? It could be him.”

“Yixing?” Lu Han scoffs, “No, he doesn’t work that way. Also, if he paid me any attention, he would know.”

Minseok turns to him, his gaze sharp as he asks, “Why don’t you actually leave him?”

Lu Han laughs, bitter and dry, “It’s a bit complicated, Min. Yixing loves his reputation too much to allow me to leave him.”

“You are pathetic Lu Han,” Minseok says as he gets to his feet. He takes the box of buns and he looks livid to Lu Han as he bites out, “Thank you for lunch.”

Before Lu Han can stop him, Minseok rushes out of his office, buns in hand. The door clicks shut in place and Lu Han groans, throwing his head back.


	3. All men kill the thing they hate, too, unless, of course, it kills them first

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by James Thurber

Kim Seokjin is up even before the alarm rings. Curse his body and this day, and everything else. He disarms the alarm and decides to just get about his day and get to his work. At least, he doesn’t have to commute to his work. He hears noises in the kitchen and he wonders how his boss is already up and about. It is not even six, dear god.

Seokjin freshens up and finds his boss, in her usual chirpy mood, greets him, coffee in hand, “Morning Jin-ah! Ready to weed?”

Right, this is why he hates today—he has weeding duty today. When he accepted the job at the botanical garden, he didn’t think about weeds. He grumbles as he takes the coffee, “Absolutely, can’t fucking wait.”

His boss, Sandara, claps her hand on his shoulder and squeezes it, “There, there, you will live. And you have volunteers today!”

Seokjin rolls his eyes, “Volunteers who don’t know the difference between pine trees and palm trees.”

Sandara winces as she picks up her own coffee cup, “Gee, that was one terrible day. But don’t worry, today we get helpers from the local gardening club.”

“Oh my god, you are giving me little old ladies with arthritis!”

Sandar chuckles and walks off to her office, where a phone rings. Seokjin finishes his coffee and eats the plate of toast Sandara left for him. They both live in a lodge on the garden grounds rent-free. The house is old but still functional and the summer weather is pleasant and all the big sliding doors to the small backyard are open. Seokjin sighs, he likes his job, he really does. Surrounded by greenery is how he imagined his life to be when he graduated Yeungnam and he got it. He smiles as he watches a small bluebird flit about the herb garden.

A few minutes later, he is lugging a trolley down a gravel path, on the end of which dozen or so people await. Not all of them are old, some look to be his age or around and Seokjin bites the inside of his cheek for his slip earlier that day. Amateur gardeners are better than volunteers from the sports club anyday. He walks up to them with a smile, “Hello, everyone!” They greet him and he pushes the trolley in front of him. The trolley is filled with weeds that he bought so people can recognise them and use as reference when they weed the whole eastern side of the compound. He points at the plants and starts rattling while the helpers whip out their phone and start taking images, “So, our garden is mostly plagued by chickweed, pigweed, lambsquarters and purslane. They haven’t seeded yet, so we need to pull them out by today! Lets go!”

They cheer on and Seokjin has them following them down the path. They reach the garden with the vegetable plants and they get to work. This part of the garden mixes into the woods but the gardens own that land too, which isn’t that deep and only deers live there. A small, less than six feet high wall tries to demarcate the areas, to stop deers from entering, and a small gate allows people to go in and out of the woods. College student and couples usually sneak into the gardens through here. To Seokjin’s surprise, he finds the door wide open, he frowns. He knows he closed it last night; he drops his shovel and marches to it. He touches the lock and finds it broken, his scowl deepens. This is very strange.

Suddenly, he hears a small cry behind him, calling his name. He turns around to find a small elderly lady calling for him. He jogs up to her and asks, “Yes?”

“Dear, is this a purslane?” she asks.

Seokjin looks down at the small bush of soybeans and shakes his head when he recognises the broad leafed plant with the fuzzy stem. “No ma’am, this is a pigweed. Leave it to me, this takes more muscle.”

The lady titters and smiles before jostling away to go dig out less problematic weed. Seokjin aims at the root, pushing his shovel hard and realises his shovel didn’t sink into the soil, like something is blocking it. He knows pigweed is a sturdy, determinant weed but this is new. He pushes aside the leaves and to his surprise, he finds a shoe. But then his blood runs cold when he realises the shoe is connected to a denim-clad leg and he pushes aside the bush and gasps when he finds a man. And this man looks dead.

Someone calls the police since Seokjin started hyperventilating on discovering the body. He hears sirens and he hears loud chatter, he also feels someone throwing a blanket over his shoulders and coaxing him to sit on a bench. He curls into himself and tries to forget the dead man lying hidden in the bushes.

Detective Inspector Do Kyungsoo steps into the scene along with his partner Sergeant Oh Sehun. Coroner Huang Zitao is already on the scene, he hears footsteps and he looks up, smiling up at the two policemen, “Morning, detectives.” His smile lingers longer on the DI.

Kyungsoo smiles back, noting that Zitao has cut his hair and now his dark midnight black bangs sweep over his glasses. Sehun jerks his head, “Any ID?”

Zitao nods, “Yeah,” he rummages through the small collection of evidence he had made, neatly packed and put in plastic bags. He gets the wallet and hands it to Sehun, “Driver’s licence. One Dr Park Chanyeol, from Seoul, aged thirty eight. Can’t tell you COD yet, I don’t see any visible signs of assault, so wait for toxicology reports. Judging from lividity, and this is pure assumption on my part, I put TOD roughly around eight to ten hours.”

Kyungsoo nods and takes the wallet from Sehun, asking, “Who found him?”

“The head gardener or something,” Zitao swivels his head at the direction of the man sitting on the bench, his shoulders covered by an orange blanket, “That one.”

Kyungsoo looks at Sehun, “You go talk to him.”

Sehun nods and walks over to the man hunched on the bench. His footsteps alert the man and he looks up; Sehun almost stumbles back. There are tears running down his eyes and perhaps there is snot running down his nose too but it cannot take away from the fact that man is _gorgeous._ Sehun knows he is staring but he can’t look away, can’t tear his gaze from the man’s ridiculous lips. However, he is on duty and he has _responsibilities,_ like catch the person who did this. He clears his throat and sits down beside the man. He fishes for the packet of tissues he always carries around with him and hands the man one. He takes it, a small, grateful smile on his face and mumbles, “Thank you, uh, detective…”

Sehun shakes his head and smiles, “Not yet. I am sergeant Oh Sehun. You found the body, right?”

“Yes,” the man says as he rubs his face with the tissue. “I am, uh, Kim Seokjin. I work here.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Yeah,” Seokjin shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. “So, we were weeding the garden when I found him. He was beneath the bushes, under the pigweed.” His shoulders tremble and a fresh batch of tears glaze his eyes—eyes that are trained towards Sehun as he says, “You know, I keep thinking I hurt him, when I was poking with my shovel. But I know I didn’t hurt him, huh, because he was already dead!”

Sehun sees the panic attack about to happen and he quickly brings out another tissue. He grabs Seokjin’s hand (which are warm and _terribly_ soft for someone who takes care of this large place, but Sehun chooses to not dwell on that) and pushes the tissue there. He closes his fist over Seokjin’s hand, which also trembling and pulls out his card. He places it on the space between them on the bench and tells him, “It’s alright, you didn’t do anything wrong. I understand how you must feel, discovering a dead body isn’t something that happens to everyone. So, if you need to, you can talk to the helpline on the back of this card,” he points at the card and Seokjin’s eyes follow.

The gardener nods his head and picks up the card, turns it over. He sniffs, scrunching his nose and asks, his voice low, “Thank you.” He looks back up at Sehun again and the sergeant remembers he is still holding Seokjin’s hand, so he removes it. Seokjin wipes his face again and asks, “You must see plenty of dead bodies, right?”

“Yeah,” Sehun scoffs.

Seokjin has a small smile on his face as he says, “Who do you talk to then?” Then, his face becomes all red as he looks down at his lap and mumbles, “Sorry, I don’t mean to pry. I don’t know where that came from.” He looks back at Sehun again, “You are very kind, thank you.”

Sehun is taken aback by the question; he doesn’t talk about corpses to anyone actually. it’s just his job, he hadn’t had any moment to really wonder how all of this affects him. He scoffs, scratching the back of his neck as he gets to his feet, “You are welcome. Now, I have to ask, did you see or hear anything last night?”

Seokjin shakes his head, “The lodge, I mean, where I live is at the other end of the gardens. And I am sorry to say we don’t have surveillance cameras this side of the garden. No one much comes here,” his gaze lands on the forensic team buzzing about the dead body and he resumes, “Well, except for him.”

“And,” Sehun puts his hands in his pockets and continues, hating how he needs to ask this question, “Can you tell me where you were last night?”

“I was at the lodge with my boss, Sandara Park,” Seokjin answers.

Sehun feels terrible so he hurriedly explains, “This is just procedure—”

Seokjin laughs and it is squeaky and Sehun thinks he likes it, and likes the way it chases the clouds off Seokjin’s face. “It is okay sergeant Oh, you have your duty to do.” He looks about the garden and sighs, “I have mine too and I do need to weed the garden.”

Sehun smiles, “Don’t worry, we will be out of your hair soon.” He hears someone calling him and he bows a little, “Thank you. Do call me if anything occurs to you, and we will talk to your boss too.”

“Okay sergeant! No problem!”

Sehun leaves, not without his head filled with the odd laugh and the way Seokjin scrunched his face. He joins his partner, who beckons his towards the side where a short woman is standing, her hands clasped. Kyungsoo introduces her, “Sandara Park. Chief operating officer of the gardens. She says she had seen Dr Park around.”

Sehun frowns down at her and she nods, “Yep, I found him loitering around the laburnum tree yesterday. I remembered him, because you know, he was sort of handsome and dressed really well.”

“The laburnum tree?”

Kyungsoo nods, “A big yellow tree, right?”

Sandara nods. She leaves them soon after and Kyungsoo grins, “So, had a good time interrogating our corpse discoverer?”

Sehun narrows his eyes down at Kyungsoo. “Shut up hyung.”

 

Hours later, Zitao looks up when he hears the doors to his lab swishing open. Kyungsoo steps in first, a coffee cup in hand, which he puts down on his table. Zitao grins, “Thanks hyung, how did you know I needed it?”

Kyungsoo smirks, “I just know.”

Zitao rolls his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, you always do.”

Sehun, who had been watching this, rolls his eyes and clears his throat. The coroner and the detective inspector have been flirting with each other for ages with neither of them ever having the guts to ask each other out. Sehun and the chief of police have a bet running who will ask out who first. But his fake cough works and Zitao gets startled slightly, as if noticing Sehun’s presence for the first time. Sehun smiles, “So, what did you find?”

“Quite the cocktail,” Zitao replies as he picks up a file. “He had been drinking, and the thing that killed him was a dangerously high level of nicotine. I found a small puncture wound on the inside of his elbow and he someone clonked him on his head.”

Kyungsoo frowns, “Nicotine poisoning?”

“So,” Sehun taps his foot on the floor, “Either he smoked himself to death or someone injected him with nicotine?”

“Unless he was smoking tobacco from a pipe, and that too at least eighteen to twenty pipes. But there is no burning in the lungs, in fact, his lungs looked too healthy. I am betting he has never smoked,” Zitao points at the pictures of the said organ spread out on his desk. “I found six hundred milligrams of nicotine in his system, but…” he frowns and looks down at the floor.

Kyungsoo nudges, “But what?”

Zitao looks up and shakes his head, “The lethal limit is within nine hundred to a thousand. Six hundred is relatively alright, I mean it shouldn’t kill him.”

“Maybe you are missing something?”

Zitao shrugs, “Probably, I will run more tests later.”

“Wait, you said he clonked his head?” Sehun asks.

Zitao nods, “Yeah, judging from the bruises all over his body, he had been fighting someone.”

Kyungsoo hums, “So, maybe our murderer knocked him out and then injected him?”

Sehun touches a photograph of a face shot of the victim. “He is a tall man with enough muscle. Injecting him won’t be easy, knocking him unconscious will make the process easier.”

Kyungsoo picks up a photograph of the inside of the victim’s arm. “This puncture, was it very precise?”

“Yep, too precise if you tell me,” Zitao says.

“So, a doctor could have killed him?”

Sehun scoffs, “This town is crawling with doctors and wannabe doctors.”

Kyungsoo presses his lips and then sighs, “Awesome.”

 

Yixing is pacing in his office, angry and disappointed. He heard about Chanyeol’s death a couple of hours ago and he is seething because his plans had been thrown off by this occurrence. The door to his office opens and he is about to shout at whoever did it before he finds it is his husband. He walks in and Yixing sighs, rubbing his face. He asks, “You know?”

“Yeah, I heard it, you okay?” Lu Han says as he inches closer. He knows Yixing and Chanyeol knew each other, and that the two went for dinner yesterday. Yixing used to be Chanyeol’s teacher fifteen years ago and Chanyeol was the teacher’s pet. Yixing kept up with him, reading his journals and all.

Yixing clutches the front of Lu Han’s shirt and tries to calm down, taking deep breaths. He feels Lu Han’s arms winding around him and he allows the man to pull him into a hug.  Lu Han rubs soothing circles into his back as he says, “The cops will come knocking though.”

Yixing groans into Lu Han’s shoulder, “I know, I know.” He pushes his face into Lu Han’s neck and the soothing scent of his husband’s aftershave calms him down enough to realise this is the most intimate they have been in over three years perhaps. Yixing is struggling, wondering if he should push Lu Han away or stay like this for a while longer because this isn’t awful, it reminds him of simpler days. Yixing can almost forget the shit Lu Han put him through three years ago, almost.

But then, Lu Han answers for him when he noses along Yixing’s neck, mumbling into his skin, “This is nice. I can’t remember the last time I hugged you.”

Yixing bites down his lip and pulls back, Lu Han doesn’t relent and Yixing shuts his eyes as he says, “And whose fault is that?”

“Baobei,” Lu Han whispers and it makes Yixing’s stomach lurch and his heart clench uncomfortably in his chest. He opens his eyes and scowls, hissing at Lu Han, “Don’t you dare fucking call me that Han, just don’t.”

Lu Han is going to say something when there is a knock on the door. Lu Han lets Yixing go, who firmly speaks, trying to mask the way his entire body is aflame with indignation and hurt, “Yes?”

The door opens to Joohyun who says, “There are police officers wanting to talk to you.”

Yixing nods, “Let them in.”

Joohyun leaves, not closing the door. Lu Han asks, “Do you want me to stay?”

Yixing shrugs, “I don’t care.”

Lu Han takes that as a yes and sits down on the couch. The two officers enter the room and the shorter of them steps forward, “I am detective inspector Do Kyungsoo, this is my partner sergeant Oh Sehun.”

“Dr Zhang Yixing, and this is my husband, Dr Lu Han,” he says after waving at the chairs in front of the desk. The detectives sit down and Yixing asks, “How can I help you?”

“Well,” Kyungsoo starts as he brings out his notebook, “Park Chanyeol has been murdered.”

Lu Han, who had strolled over to the desk and was leaning on it, crosses his arms and frowns, “Murdered?”

“Yes, poisoned,” Sehun adds.

Yixing laces his fingers and shakes his head. “But why would anyone want to kill him? He just came here a week ago.”

“You were the last one to see him alive Dr Zhang,” Kyungsoo states.

Yixing nods, “Yes, we went out to dinner. He used to be my student, among the most brilliant ones. When he returned, I wanted to see him again and ask about his wellbeing. He had been thoroughly busy, he is, sorry, was tasked with the new interns this year, at the hospital.”

“Can you tell me the time when you finished dinner?”

“Yes, inspector, I remember perfectly. It was nine forty, he had drank a bit too much so I escorted him to a taxi and then went back to my car and drove back home.”

Sehun looks at Lu Han, who immediately nods, “Yes, he was home by ten.”

Kyungsoo asks, “Anyone you know would want to hurt Chanyeol?”

Yixing shakes his head, “I am sorry inspector, I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen him in fifteen years, so I wouldn’t really know.”

The policemen get to their feet and thank the couple for their time. When the officers leave, Lu Han asks, “Chanyeol came back and now he is dead. It is strange, he left because Baekhyun died…” he looks at Yixing, “You don’t think it is connected, do you?”

Yixing rolls his eyes,  “Hardly. Leave the sleuthing to the cops. Don’t you have a class?”

Lu Han nods and leaves the office. Yixing watches him go and he too ends up wondering. Last night, Chanyeol didn’t even mention Baekhyun once. In fact, Yixing did find it odd that Chanyeol returned just as soon as Minho did. But he deems it is none of his business, he is more concerned with the fact that what Chanyeol promised to do for him was no longer possible.

 

Kyungsoo and Sehun return to the station and instantly find an officer calling for them. Officer Jeongyeon calls them over to her desk and the men walk up to her. She points at her screen and says, “I found out something. So, about fifteen years ago a student died of an overdose, named Byun Baekhyun.”

Sehun asks, “And this is relevant how?”

Jeongyeon smirks, “Byun Baekhyun was engaged to our Dr Park fifteen years ago.”

“Overdose?” Kyungsoo leans forward, his eyes trailing over the news report on Jeongyeon’s computer.

“Yeah, but Dr Park here wasn’t convinced. He protested till the end of the day that his fiance was never a user and he was killed,” she adds.

Sehun raises his eyebrows, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So, what are you saying? Chanyeol might have been right?”

Kyungsoo straightens up and shrugs, “Who knows? But Chanyeol _is_ dead, killed, so maybe he had been right and the killer found out?”

Sehun nods. He chews the inside of his cheek as he ponders for a moment, “Hyung? I wanna look closely at Dr Zhang though.”

Kyungsoo frowns, “You think he is the murderer?”

“I don’t know, but I found his behaviour off. See you later!” he is almost out of the office before Kyungsoo can edge in another word. He sighs and asks, “Officer, could you please give me every details about the Byun case?”

“No problem, sir,” she quips. “You will get them as soon as possible.”


	4. An honest enemy is better than a best friend who lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by Vandi Tanko

Sehun is standing in Chanyeol’s home, a small rented apartment near the farmers’ market, hands on hips as he thinks. It’s a weekday and it’s morning, so the market is relatively quiet, and Sehun can hear the occasional car and sometimes some loud talking, usually students. This is an university town with colleges that cater to whatever course of future young people want to take. The streets, no matter what time of the day, are teeming with students. The restaurants, the bars, the cafe, always filled with them as well. Sehun wasn’t from here, neither was Kyungsoo. Sehun used to work down at Busan while Kyungsoo came from Seoul.

He wasn’t sure how his new partner would be when he met Kyungsoo five years ago, his eyes too big and cautious. But so far, he is kind of glad he has Kyungsoo as his partner. The man is smart, maybe scatterbrained at times, but a damn near genius at times. Sehun on the other hand is more logic-driven and he tends to look more at the bigger picture than the details like Kyungsoo can see. In a way, they complement each other very well and Jaejoong, even though, exasperated with their methods and usual offensive ways, is happy by how well they work together and bring in the criminals home.

Right now, he is trying to see the big picture here. If Chanyeol came back for something, it must have been Baekhyun. Kyungsoo gave him the lowdown last night. But why, what was Chanyeol hoping to achieve after fifteen years of Baekhyun’s death?

He lights a cigarette and moves to open a window. Chanyeol’s apartment was sparsely furnished but then again he had only moved in a week ago. His refrigerator is empty save for a few bottles of beer. There is a bed, a closet and one chair pushed against a bookshelf. Sehun is wondering why he doesn’t even see any boxes around. Chanyeol, perhaps, wasn’t looking to stay for too long.

Sehun taps the ashes out the window and notices the victim’s laptop. He boots it up and to his delight, and relief, finds Chanyeol hasn’t logged out of his email account. He goes through the inbox and to his surprise, finds correspondence dating back a year with Yixing. Sehun frowns as he reads through a few of them.

He calls Kyungsoo immediately and the inspector scolds him before he can even say hello, “Where are you? You have been gone for two hours now!”

Sehun rubs his neck, “Sorry hyung, I am at Chanyeol’s place. I found something.”

“Oh, tell me?”

“So, Chanyeol and Yixing have been emailing each other for a year now, it seems Yixing invited Chanyeol here, promising him to help find a job here. And hyung, Chanyeol was in the States for the last three years. He has been lying to people about living in Seoul.”

“Interesting. I suppose you want to interrogate Yixing now, but do it with caution. I just had Jaejoong tell me that Dr Zhang is quite a prominent person in this town’s academic circle. Don’t try to offend him too much.”

Sehun rolls his eyes, “I will try.”

 

It’s a new morning and Yixing can still feel the clouds hovering over his head. He walks into his office and pops open the lid of his coffee cup, dumping a packet of artificial sugar in it. He is stirring the coffee when Joohyun knocks on his door; he looks up and she smiles, “Your correspondence for the day, sir.”

She puts a stack of envelopes on his desk and leaves. Yixing browses through them, a few letters from other universities, lecturers clamouring for his attention; another one from the council board, requesting his presence for something again; a letter addressed only with his name, and that is the one that attracts his attention. He drops the others and picks it up with both his hands. His name is typed on the envelope, a simple _For Dr Zhang_.

Yixing opens the letter, getting curiouser by the second. There is no address, no stamps, which tells him someone hand delivered it. He unfolds the letter and what he reads confirms his deepest suspicions and makes him both angry and sad.

_Dear Dr Zhang,_

_Did you know you have a homewrecker by the name of a Kim Minseok? Your husband is having affair with a student. Quite the scandal, isn’t it?_

_From,_

_A well wisher_

Yixing crumples the letter and breathes heavily. He sees red for a second and he can feel the tears welling in his eyes, tears of frustration, of anger, of a finality descending on him. How could he believe he can trust Lu Han? After everything he did three years ago, and Yixing still wanted to forgive him, was still hoping that things could get better, that they could change and return to how it was three years ago. But now, his last hope has been snuffed out and he wants to cry, wants to break something, wants to scream.

He reads the name again. Kim Minseok. Third year, medicine, short, well-built and a good student. But most importantly, _his husband’s type_ , pretty with sparkling eyes _._ He gasps and shreds the letter to pieces. He will end this Minseok first, then he will finish his husband. He won’t let go this time, he will get his retribution for ruining his hopes and his love for the only man he ever cared for. Lu Han and he are done, for real this time.

He gets up, but his door opens to Joohyun, who startles when she notes the livid look on his face. He takes a breath and tries to compose himself, he asks, “Yes?”

“Sergeant Oh is here, he wants to see you,” she says.

Yixing wants to scream, he doesn’t want to be questioned by a policeman right now, but he nods at his secretary. Joohyun makes her way to the side and waves her hand. The sergeant steps in and greets him, “Morning professor, I want to speak with you.” He turns his head around, smiles at Joohyun and closes the door on her face.

Yixing frowns at that, he crosses his arms and says, his voice hard, “Would I need a lawyer sergeant?”

Sehun shakes his head, “Not if you are truthful.” He doesn’t sit down but he paces a bit before asking, “Were you one who dragged Chanyeol from the States to Seoul, then to here?”

Yixing widens his eyes. “How, I mean, I didn’t, I mean…”

Sehun crosses his arms and frowns, “You weren’t clear in the emails you sent, but you promised Chanyeol to come here by something in return for a rather lucrative post in one of the biggest medical colleges in America. Didn’t know a professor could pull strings to arrange a job for anyone”

“You’d be surprised,” Yixing scoffs as he looks up at the ceiling and looks down back at Sehun again, his lips twisted in a smirk. “You can hardly arrest me for being ambitious, can you?”

“No, but you can be arrested if you killed Chanyeol for not keeping up with this end of the bargain. What did you promise to give him?”

Yixing sighs, licks his lips before replying, “Choi Minho.”

Sehun quirks an eyebrow, “Choi Minho?”

Yixing shrugs, “He wanted a job here and I gave it to him. He had beef with Minho, now why, I am not sure and I didn’t want to know. In exchange, he was going to get me a post in his college in America. Simple as that.”

Sehun rubs his chin. “Chanyeol asked to come here?”

“Yes.” Yixing uncrosses his arms, “Now, can I get back to work?”

Sehun nods and takes his leave, his mind buzzing. Chanyeol wanted to come here, wanted to get even with this Choi Minho. Who is this Choi Minho?

 

Minseok wakes up to another message, and he nearly cries in frustration. He asked a friend of his to help and he informed Minseok that it was an untraceable SIM. Minseok is convinced Yixing knows, who else can do this to him? He had texted Lu Han, and he was coming to meet him before heading to the college. He bites his lips, wondering if he should try to convince Lu Han again.

He finds a message from Lu Han, telling him his lover is here. He rushes out of the house and finds Lu Han leaning against his car. He doesn’t notice that there are other people awake and looking down at him from a window.

Yifan had heard Minseok leaving the house and he had strolled up to the window, pushing the curtain aside, only to find Minseok embracing a strange man. They kiss and Yifan’s heart twists into a knot in his chest and he feels all his blood rushing to his head. He notes Junmyeon joining him and he asks the other, “Who’s that?”

“That? Professor Lu Han,” Junmyeon answers, not even hesitating once.

“Professor?” Yifan asks, incredulity colouring his voice.

Junmyeon steps back, smirking, “Guess Minseok likes life on the scandalous side.” He picks up his green tea from the table, “I heard he’s married.”

Yifan gasps and steps away from the window as if burned by the glass of the window. He whips his head around to look at Junmyeon, who tilts his head to the side and says, “Time for you to move on, don’t you think?”

Yifan widens his eyes, his heart jumping up his throat. Junmyeon shakes his head as he sits down on the kitchen table, “I know you are in love with him, it’s only too obvious. Well, not to him, but obvious.”Yifan grabs the table’s edge, glaring down at Junmyeon, who holds his gaze, his jaw tightening and his gaze unfathomable to Yifan. “If we weren’t friends, I would think you to be the most pathetic dipshit ever.”

Yifan slams his hand on the table and storms off. The front door bangs shut and Junmyeon throws the cup of tea on the floor. The hot liquid burns his bare foot but he doesn’t notice, he only feels the hot, angry tears rolling down his cheeks. He said all those things, he wanted to hurt Yifan. How did he come at this point of his life? Does love turn to hate only this easily? Does jealousy make monsters of everyone?

 

Yifan finds out where Lu Han’s office is and he doesn’t think as he runs up the stairs. He had been walking around town for hours, seething, feeling the rage inside him build and build. Minseok is involved with a married man, a man two decades older than him, a teacher. It seems clear to Yifan that Lu Han is only taking advantage of Minseok, so when he comes to that conclusion, he heads for the medical college. A receptionist shows him the way and a couple of minutes later, he barges into Lu Han’s office.

The man was grading papers when the door bangs open. Yifan doesn’t let him get to his feet or speak before he is snarling into his face, having grabbed his collar. Yifan growls, “Stay away from Minseok!”

Lu Han wraps his hand around Yifan’s, “Who the hell are you?”

“Doesn’t matter you son of a bitch, you stay the fuck away from Minseok, or else I will kill you.”

Lu Han tries to push Yifan away with no result, but the younger man removes himself and points at Lu Han, who is heaving on the chair. “I mean it professor, stay away from Minseok.”

Yifan turns around and leaves the office, banging the door shut behind him. Lu Han tries to calm his rabbiting heart. He is confused as to whom the boy was but now he is afraid that if that boy knows, how long before his husband knows?

He fixes his tie and his door opens again, he looks up to see Yixing standing at the door, his face impassive as he asks, his voice unusually cold, “Your phone Lu Han, give me your phone.” Lu Han is uncertain so he grabs his phone off the desk, but then Yixing shakes his head, “Your _other_ phone Lu Han.”


	5. Anger is a short madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by Horace

“Your  _ other  _ phone Lu Han,” Yixing says. He watches Lu Han’s face paling and Yixing feels his worst fear dance across Lu Han’s eyes. He sees the way his husband’s hand shakes as he digs out the other phone from his pocket. 

Yixing snatches it from his hand and opens the messages. He scoffs as he scrolls through the texts between Lu Han and his current  _ lover _ . Yixing looks at Lu Han for a beat, who widens his eyes and tries to plead, “Yixing, please—”

Yixing shakes his head, raising his hand in the air. He turns around and throws the phone on the wall, smashing the thing. His shoulder shake as he says, “You, after this all this time, you go do it again. We are fucking done.” 

Yixing leaves the office and gets his secretary to find Minseok’s address. When Joohyun finds it for him, he doesn’t wait to head over there. He parks the car and looks up at the apartment block, nondescript and pristine. Yixing suddenly feels eerily calm now, he knows what he is here to do.

He enters the building and climbs the two storeys. He presses the bell and the look of surprise on Minseok’s face gives him an odd sense of satisfaction. He smiles, “Can I come in?”

Minseok stumbles, “Yes, of course, please do.”

Yixing steps in and looks around the flat. It is clear more than one personality inhabits this place, there are sports gear, comic book paraphernalia and anime merchandise all strewn about the space. Minseok asks, “Would you like to drink something?”

Yixing shakes his head and smiles, “No, I wouldn’t like anything. However, what I would like is to terminate your relationship with my husband.”

Minseok gasps and steps back. He shakes his head, his eyes wide in fear, “No, no sir, you are mistaken. I am not—”

“Oh, shut up!” Yixing shouts. “Don’t try to lie and embarrass yourself. If this was the first time, I wouldn’t believe. Once bitten, twice shy? Lu Han obviously doesn’t believe it.”

Minseok gapes, “Excuse me?”

Yixing laughs without any humour in it, “You thought you were special?” He stalks forward, his eyes glinting, “Do you know why your  _ beloved  _ was gone from the college for two years? Did he tell you? DId he spin a yarn about some charitable mission in some third world country? Oh, for the matter, I came up with the story and told him to go with it. After all, the truth would have ended his career. You see, there was another student, young and fresh like you. But I must say, he was better hiding it this time from me.”

Yixing watches Minseok crumble, and he takes great pleasure in knowing he has broken this boy and the useless love he had for Lu Han. Yixing walks towards the door and says, “Do listen, leave my husband, or else trust me when I say I will make your life hell.”

 

Lu Han didn’t want to meet Minseok, not after what Yixing did in his office. But he couldn’t help himself.  He wanted to check on Minseok, wanted to know if his husband had gotten to him or not. So, he asked Minseok to meet him in the park near his apartment. Minseok agrees and Lu Han waits for some time before he finds Minseok trailing up the path beside the lake. Lu Han gets to his feet immediately, ready to pull Minseok in his embrace when the latter shoves him back, his eyes narrowed as he shouts, “You! You are a lying scumbag!”

Lu Han stumbles, taken aback. His brain whirs, he widens his eyes, “You, Yixing— “

“Yes, your husband came to me and he told me about your so called sabbatical,” he pushes Lu Han back, his eyes welling with tears, “You just used me! I can’t fucking believe myself that I believed you!” He scrubs his face. “We are done Lu Han.”

Minseok turns around but Lu Han grabs him, trying to stop him. Minseok pushes him off himself and screams, “Fuck off Lu Han!”

Lu Han steps back, anger flooding his whole body as he shouts back, “You are a cold-hearted bastard Kim Minseok!”

Minseok whips his head around, “I can’t fucking…” he doesn’t end his sentence,feeling inadequate to string words and be coherent, thus, licks his lips and marches off. 

From across the lake, at the small cafe overlooking it, Yixing sits on the outdoor seating area and watches Minseok marching off. He had hung back after confronting Minseok, feeling certain he would try to meet Lu Han. So, when after an hour, he sees Minseok step out of his house, Yixing quietly follows. He can now see Lu Han standing there, his hands curling into fists and uncurling again. His floppy hair swaying in the light breeze, and Yixing remembers a day ages ago when Yixing had held Lu Han’s hand by this very lake and brushed those bangs away from his face. Yixing finds that odd sense of satisfaction disappearing, replaced by this crippling wish to weep. But weep for what? He doesn’t know if getting what he wanted made him happy or upset. He sips the tea he bought and looks at the sun glinting off the surface of the lake.

 

Minseok starts walking and he doesn’t notice his surroundings, his feet propelled by his anger and heartbreak. A part of him hates Yixing more than anything, he blames the older man for his condition, but then again, Minseok knew he wasn’t above reproach. He became involved with a married man—what was he expecting? Was he wishing for Lu Han to leave Yixing and be with him forever? Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. But what he didn’t want to do was to be used by Lu Han.

And he understood, he sees it now. He was just another shiny thing for Lu Han to play with. He remembers how Lu Han wouldn’t talk about the years he was away from the college. He remembers thinking that perhaps Lu Han and Yixing’s relationship was already strained, so he felt less guilty for getting involved with Lu Han. But now he understands, Yixing was just struggling to forgive a philandering husband. Lu Han has proven himself to be beyond forgiveness, from him and from Yixing. 

Minseok halts, a sob breaks out despite trying his best to not crumble in public. He looks around and notices he is in a part of town he doesn’t know very well. It must be close to the woods, a few houses dot the area. Evening is fast approaching and the area looks more desolate than it would look during daytime. It is empty though, so he claps a hand over his mouth and doubles over, his tears running down his cheeks as he hiccups and loathes himself.

Suddenly, he feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see a familiar face, now screwed up in concern as they ask, “Minseok, right? Are you okay?”

They help Minseok to their feet and hold him by his shoulder, voice dropping to a gentle whisper, “You don’t seem okay, why don’t you come get some tea with me or something? We can talk if you want.”

Minseok nods; maybe some tea won’t hurt, he does need some comfort right now and if this person is offering it, he needs it. He needs to forget the last hours happened.

 

Seokjin shuffles from one foot to another, his hand clutching his small shopping bag close to his chest. He has been told to wait but police stations make him nervous. Not that he was aware they made him nervous, it just the moment he stepped in, this pickpocket started a fistfight with a cop and Seokjin had never seen teeth been knocked out of someone’s mouth. He was queasy and he wanted to dash. But he chose to wait it out in Sehun’s office, after a sweet policewoman showed him the way.

Seokjin looks around the office. It is clean, deftly organised. There are some photo frames on a shelf and Seokjin recognises the sergeant in them in his younger days. The picture is of him and a couple other boys dressed like those people at church. Seokjin frowns for a second. The doors open the next second and Seokjin turns around to Sehun standing in the doorway, his mouth gaping as he blinks down at Seokjin. 

Seokjin gets to his feet and smiles, his eyes quickly taking in the crisp white shirt tucked in the grey trousers the sergeant is wearing. He does look terribly handsome and his body is rather attractive—Seokjin had noted Sehun’s looks before. And he might have been wondering on and off about the policeman for the last few days because despite those looks, Seokjin mostly remembered how kind he was.

Sehun closes the door and takes a seat behind his desk. Seokjin sits down again, rummaging through his shopping bag. He pulls out a keyring with only two keys on it and shows it to Sehun, who takes it. Their fingers brush and Seokjin feels his face warming up at that. Sehun takes it and frowns down at the initials on the sticker pasted on the round blue plastic disk on the keyring:  _ PCY _

Seokjin rushes into his explanation, “So, I actually couldn’t return to weeding the garden after the police left, thus I only stepped my foot today, this morning. I did need to remove the pigweed before it started seeding, so I was working on removing it when I found those keys stuck on a lower branch. PIgweed has quite dense foliage, so I think your men must have missed it.” He sucks in a breath and continues, “I saw the poor man’s name on the TV, and I saw the initials, so I thought it could be his.”

Sehun’s lips slowly curve into a smile, his eyes flitting between Seokjin’s wide brown eyes and his rather pink mouth. He does hear what the man says, thankfully—despite being transfixed by those lips—so he looks down at the keys and says, “Thank you for bringing this to me. Now, would you like some tea or coffee?”

Seokjin giggles and gets to his feet, “No, no, I have some shopping to do sergeant Oh.” Sehun gets to his feet too, scrambling inside his head to say something to Seokjin before he loses this opportunity. Seokjin is pushing his chair back when he spots the pictures on the shelf again, he points at the one that piqued his interest, “Um, that picture, were you in clergy or something?”

Sehun follows Seokjin’s finger and chuckles, “I was training to be a priest.”

Seokjin gasps and his eyes widen, “Really? And now you are suddenly a cop?”

Sehun rubs his neck, can feel how warm his whole face is getting as he explains, “Yeah, I know. Quite the career path.”

Seokjin tilts his head and smiles, “It is interesting.” His phone beeps and he sees it is another frantic message from Sandara about her French fries again. He presses his lips and pouts, “I have to go.” He looks at Sehun again, feeling a tad bit brave as he says, “Maybe you can tell me the story someday.”

Sehun is taken aback, but not unpleasantly so. He smiles, “Maybe I will.”

Seokjin gives Sehun one last smile and almost bangs into the door as he walks out. Sehun stays standing there, his heart beating a little too fast and his entire body tingling. He kind of got asked out by Seokjin and he kind of said yes, didn’t he?

Kyungsoo enters the office and smirks when he notes the distant, glazed look in Sehun’s eyes and the flush on his face, “Met your gardener outside. He said he came to give you probable evidence.”

Sehun snaps out of his reverie and shows Kyungsoo the keys Seokjin gave him. He murmurs, “Could be Dr Park’s.”

Kyungsoo takes it, turns it over, looking closely at it. “This looks like the keys to the lockers at the railway station.”

Sehun grabs his badge and gun holster, “Lets go.”

 

Kyungsoo was right; the keys belonging to Chanyeol does take them to the lockers at the railway station. They find locker L1485 easily enough and when they unlock it, they find a large plastic container filled with paper—documents, reports, newspaper cuttings, printouts, etc. Sehun and Kyungsoo share a confused look. Why was Chanyeol hoarding these items in a locker so far from his home?

The two detectives return to the police station with the new evidence and Jeongyeon joins them in reading through all the material in it. A few seconds in all three understand what they are looking at. Kyungsoo is the first to break their silence astonishment, “This is, this is all related to the Byun overdose case.”

Jeongyeon spreads out some crime scene photos that she wonders how Chanyeol got and nods, “Seems like it sir.” She hums sadly as she looks at this Byun Baekhyun’s picture while alive. He had a sweet, cheerful face and Jeongyeon has seen enough drug users in her three years in this station to know that Baekhyun looks nothing like a user. Or maybe, she is just generalising.

Sehun rubs his chin, itching for a smoke as he comments, “Looks like Dr Park was investigating Baekhyun’s death.”

“He firmly believed his fiance didn’t die of an overdose,” Jeongyeon says, shuffling the papers. She makes a small yelping noise as she finds what she is looking for, “I don’t know how he got his hands on this, but see the medical report. It says Baekhyun died of an amphetamine overdose.”

Kyungsoo takes the report and reads through it. Something jumps out at him, he waves the paper at Sehun and says, a frantic edge in his voice, “Look at the list of things found in Baekhyun’s bloodstream!”

Sehun finds what alarmed Kyungsoo right away when he takes a look. “Nicotine, he had seven hundred milligrams of nicotine in his blood…”

Jeongyeon gasps, “So did Dr Park, didn’t he? Oh my god, he could have been right.”

A scrap of paper next attracts Sehun’s attention, who picks it up. It seems to be torn from a notebook and probably written by Dr Park. He reads it, scowls and looks at partner, asking, “Who the heck is this Im Yoona?”


	6. The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by William Penn

“And,” Chief of Police, Kim Jaejoong, leans back in his chair and schools his face into the most unimpressed expression, “Why may I reopen a case from fifteen years ago?”

Kyungsoo fights the urge to scream as he leans forward and puts the things they found in Chanyeol’s locker and the recent report from Zitao, who discovered trace amounts of amphetamine in Chanyeol’s blood as well. He says, “Sir, look at the blood reports of both the victims.”

Jaejoong sighs but picks up both reports anyway; he knows the Do-Oh duo are capable, intelligent people and they can crack any case. It’s just their sometimes unorthodox methods that terrify him. This town is not that small, but is not that big as well and people who may seem disconnected can still end up having friends in higher circles. Jaejoong detests involving bureaucracy in police business but his hands are tied, and both Oh and Do have been a thorn on too many influential people’s sides. This time they are up against the stolid, revered Yeungnam University that has alumni all across positions of power in this town and beyond. That fact that Dr Zhang is already under these two’s radar pricks Jaejoong’s side a lot. He just doesn’t want trouble, and most importantly, doesn’t want to suddenly find pressure to relieve his station of Do and Oh.

Sehun steps in next, “Chanyeol mentions this Im Yoona, and we found out that she was Choi Minho’s wife who died fourteen years ago of skin cancer. Now, Chanyeol, after much digging found out that Baekhyun was actually employed by Minho fifteen years ago for something. Chanyeol managed to find money deposits from Minho in Baekhyun’s account. We do not know for what purposes was Baekhyun hired by Minho, but this could be important.”

Kyungsoo nods, “Yes. Also, Zitao is confident that whoever killed Chanyeol could have killed Baekhyun all those years ago. He said that the toxin given to them both could be a signature drug cocktail, since he is sure he has never seen the combination of amphetamine and nicotine used before. He is trying to find the old blood reports to confirm his theory. Sir, whoever killed Baekhyun got away with it fifteen years ago, perhaps Chanyeol returned to find them and punish them, but he or she got to him before that.”

Jaejoong furrows his brows, he sees the picture here. He ponders for a while and Sehun shares a short, worried glance with Kyungsoo, who shrugs. He nods, “Okay, you will have my permission. But remember, you will be dealing with the medical college. Be very, very sure before you go off accusing everyone.”

Sehun nods, smiling, “Of course sir. I will try my best to control inspector Do!”

Kyungsoo fists his hand and raises it, threatening his younger partner with a glare, “What did you say punk?”

Jaejoong groans, “Take your fisticuffs outside, I don’t want blood on my new carpet. Now shoo, both of you! Go catch me this nasty killer.”

 

Jeongyeon is the first on the scene, having being on patrol when the call came through. She usually doesn’t take early morning patrols but late night ones were throwing her sleep schedule off its rocker and she just wanted to sleep for days afterwards. Apparently, a jogger had found a body close to the east boundary wall of the botanical garden.

She parts through the bushes and finds the corpse of a young man, probably a student, judging from the varsity jacket she has seen on other people, face down on the soil with a nasty, bloody gash on the back of his head. Jeongyeon tuts before calling in forensics. She slaps on some gloves and pats the guy’s body down, hoping for some sort of identification. Thankfully, she finds a wallet and takes it out to find a college ID card. She murmurs, “Kim Minseok, college of medicine. Only twenty-two? So damn young.”

Sirens fill the air and soon the forensic truck arrives on scene followed by Sehun’s car. Jeongyeon spots Kyungsoo too, who jumps out of the car, giving his hand to the coroner to carry his kit. Jeongyeon suppresses a smile when she sees the coroner blushing. Sehun walks over to her first and she stands to attention as she relays, “Sir, this is Kim Minseok, a student, medical college.”

Kyungsoo hears her and yelps, “The medical college, again?”

Zitao tuts, “What is with the medical college here?” He turns the body over and clicks his tongue again, “So young, poor kid.”

Sehun catches something from the corner of his eye and turns his head to find Seokjin dressed in overalls coming down the gravel path. Sehun sets off in a flash, having remembered the last time Seokjin broke down at discovering a dead body. He quickly intercepts the man and Seokjin is struggling between smiling and controlling his surprise as he exhales, “Sergeant Oh? You again?”

“Uh,” Sehun looks over his shoulder, “It’s, well a jogger discovered a body, and…”

Seokjin’s eyes widen. “I heard the sirens, so Sandara sent me to investigate. Oh my god.” He puts a hand on his chest and tries to calm his heart down. He feels fingers curling around his elbow and looks up to find sergeant Oh looking down at him, his brown eyes filled with concern and Seokjin’s tongue is tied when Sehun asks, his voice soft, “You okay?”

Seokjin tries to laugh but it comes out more like a grimace, “What are we? The new favourite dumping grounds for dead bodies?”

Sehun laughs, and Seokjin knows his heart just skipped a beat there. The sergeant eye’s crinkle and the years get shaved off from him and Seokjin has never seen anything so charming. Sehun quiets down and firmly says, “So, the usual questions—”

Seokjin shakes his head, “Again, sorry, you really cannot see or hear anything from here to our lodge in the western part. And Sandara was with a friend yesterday, only came back hungover today, and I went for a movie and returned by midnight. There are cameras on the maingate, if you’d like to…”

Sehun nods and finally realises he is still holding Seokjin’s arm. He drops it and nods at the crime scene, “Thank you, I will get to it. Uh, I gotta go.”

“Of course,” Seokjin quips. “See you around!” Then he realises something and fumbles, “I mean I hope I don’t see you around here with more dead bodies! Like around town,” he groans and slaps his own head, “I should stop talking.”

Sehun rubs his lips together, trying to stop himself from laughing and touching Seokjin again. He nods as he walks backwards and his voice has a lilt to it as he hums, “Of course Seokjin-sshi.”

He walks back to the crime scene and Zitao, Kyungsoo and Jeongyeon grin at him. The officer wiggles her eyebrows, “He was blushing, who was he?”

“The one who discovered Dr Park’s body three days ago,” Zitao helps.

Sehun scowls, glaring down at Zitao, “Can we focus?”

Kyungsoo chuckles, “Okay, okay, stop teasing the sergeant.”

Zitao smiles, but drops it as he picks up his board. “Okay, COD is obviously blunt force trauma to the back of his head. I would say death was instantaneous. I will do a full toxicology run and let you know. Time of death, well judging from the shade of plum on his face, I would put roughly twelve to twenty hours.” 

Kyungsoo kneels beside the body and frowns down at the body. “Medical college and these gardens, why are we always ending up at these two places?”

 

Junmyeon grabs Yifan’s hand as they step inside the morgue. They have been called a while ago to come identify Minseok’s body. Yifan’s hands are cold and trembling, and honestly, Junmyeon is not faring any better as well. They were worried when they returned home from classes and Minseok wasn’t there. They called and called, and couldn’t get a hold of Minseok. Yifan got scared and told him about going to confront Lu Han; Junmyeon got terrified as well and instantly called the police, who said they weren’t allowed to lodge a proper missing persons file till twenty four hours.

Now, twenty four hours later, they are looking at Minseok’s body laid out on a slab covered by a white sheet. They are standing behind a glass partition and Yifan’s knees give away. Junmyeon quickly wraps his arm around Yifan and pulls him up. Yifan’s entire body trembles before he starts sobbing, his face pressed into Junmyeon’s shoulder. Junmyeon feels the regret and shame burning in his gut, and he is sad too, sobbing along with Yifan as he glances at Minseok. Is this his fault? Even after everything else, Minseok was the one who befriended a lonely, lost student, gave him a place to stay and took care of him. They were friends before anything else, Junmyeon bites down on his lip, trying to hold back his frustrated scream. He brought Minseok to this, he will never, ever forgive himself for this.

Sehun and Kyungsoo walk up to the friends and guide them to the breakroom. Sehun hands them two cups of tea and takes a seat beside Kyungsoo, who is already seated opposite the two crying students. Sehun hands them both tissues.

Junmyeon collects himself first, he hiccups as he speaks, “Minseok didn’t come to class yesterday. He missed the morning lecture but he told me he would be here for the afternoon one. But he didn’t come and I kept calling. I thought he was perhaps sick, or working in the library.”

Kyungsoo hums, “We found that you two tried to report him as missing.”

Yifan rubs his face and nods, “Yes. I returned home late and Junmyeon asked if I had seen Minseok. Sometimes Minseok can be found in the coffee shop in our neighbourhood, which I pass every time I return home. He wasn’t there, and when he didn’t return even after midnight, we tried to call the cops.”

Kyungsoo nods; Sehun asks, “Do you know who would have wanted to hurt him?” Kyungsoo, he can’t explain why, looks at Junmyeon when Sehun asks the question, something flashes across the student’s face but it is gone the next second. Yifan, however, glares at the table as he speaks, his voice angry, “Lu Han.”

Both detectives are startled by the name. Kyungsoo asks, “Say what? Professor Lu Han from the medical college?”

Yifan nods; Junmyeon almost crushes the styrofoam cup. Yifan says in a clipped tone, “Lu Han was taking advantage of Minseok.”

Junmyeon sighs, “They were having an affair sir.” He scowls at Yifan, the anger flaring inside him suddenly, “You just refuse to believe Minseok was capable of that.”

Yifan slams the table and gets to his feet so fast, the chair almost topples over. He storms off and Kyungsoo jumps on Junmyeon. “You, mister Kim, you know more than you are letting on, aren’t you?”

Junmyeon is about to deny, but then his lips tremble before he starts crying. Sehun pulls out more tissues. After a minute, when Junmyeon has collected himself, he says, “I was jealous sir, I just wanted to hurt Yifan.”

Sehun asks, “What do you mean?”

Junmyeon twists his fingers in his lap, refusing to look at the detectives as he explains, “I used to text Minseok, terrible, terrible things, from an untraceable SIM. I knew about his affair with Lu Han and I just wanted his true colours to come out in front of Yifan. Perfect, beautiful Kim Minseok was involved in an affair with an older man. I just wanted Yifan to get over Minseok.” He inhales, and blows his nose. “But when nothing happened, I sent an anonymous letter to professor Zhang.”

Kyungsoo leans back and groans—back to Dr Zhang  _ again _ . He glares at Junmyeon and says, “We need that SIM and don’t even think of leaving town.”

Junmyeon widens his eyes. “Am I, am I a suspect?”

Sehun nods, “Clearly. You are in love with Yifan and you were jealous.”

Junmyeon gasps, “No, no! I could never hurt Minseok! I was jealous but me? Kill him? I would, I would never!” He erupts into violent, full body shaking sobs as says, “I just wanted Yifan to hurt, but never like this. What have I done…”

Kyungsoo gets up and fixes his tie. “I will pay Jaejoong a visit, take this guy home and search their apartment. Also, keep a look out for Yifan. For all we know, he could have killed Minseok too. Won’t be our first case of if-I-can’t-have-him-no-one-else-can murderous passion.”

Sehun nods and passes Junmyeon more tissues as he watches Kyungsoo march out of the breakroom.

A few minutes later, in Jaejoong’s office, the man in charge sighs at Kyungsoo, “Fine, bring the adulterer and his husband in. Don’t charge them yet, just make them sweat for a while.”

Kyungsoo beams, his smile wide and bright, “Yes, sir!”

Jaejoong rolls his eyes, he is only too aware how much Kyungsoo and Sehun love the whole intimidation routine.


	7. You flew off with the wings of my heart and left me flightless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by Terri Guillemets

Yifan was home when Junmyeon is returned to the apartment by an officer. Yifan watches Junmyeon get down from the police car from the balcony. Junmyeon suddenly looks up and he is surprised to see Yifan on the balcony, glaring down at him. Junmyeon tucks his head and shuffles inside, Yifan too moves back from the into the living room, telling himself that he has no business being mad at Junmyeon. He opens the door before Junmyeon can even fish his keys out of his pockets. Junmyeon doesn’t say anything, or even look at Yifan as he scurries into his bedroom. Yifan wants to say something, ask him how he is doing but he too can’t find the right words.

Yifan follows, and to his surprise when he comes to lean at Junmyeon’s doorway, he finds the latter carrying his duffle bag out of the closet. Yifan asks, “What are you doing?”

“Leaving,” Junmyeon mumbles. He picks a few t-shirts and folds it into the bag, “Can’t leave town of course, but I can’t stay here.”

“Wait,” Yifan straightens up. “What do you mean you cannot leave town?”

Junmyeon sighs, deeply, rolling a pair of sweatpants as he replies, “I am a prime suspect along with Dr Zhang and Professor Lu Han, I suppose.”

“What?” Yifan strides into the room. “Why are you a suspect?”

Junmyeon folds into himself; he avoids the question and dives into the bathroom to fetch his toiletries. Yifan grabs his wrist and his toothbrush drops from his hand; Yifan tugs and groans, “Junmyeon, answer me!”

Junmyeon licks his lips and looks up at Yifan, his voice small and trembling as he says, “I sent Minseok some terrible messages, and sent an anonymous letter to Dr Zhang, telling him about his husband’s indiscretions.”

Yifan gasps and lets go of Junmyeon’s hand, “What?”

Junmyeon throws his shaving kit and toothpaste into the bag and scoffs, “They think I might have killed Minseok out of jealousy.” His jaw tightens as he adds, “I would never hurt  _ him _ , my anger was never directed at him, no.”

“Jealousy?” Yifan whispers. “Anger?”

Junmyeon zips the bag and looks up, his eyes swimming with unshed tears. He bites his lip, bites it hard enough to draw blood. His gaze flits down to the floor again as he admits, in the tiniest, most defeated voice, “Take a wild guess, Yifan. You would know if you noticed me enough. But I am invisible to you, aren’t I?”

Yifan hears the words, and before he can process them, Junmyeon walks out of the room. Yifan hears the thud of the door closing and he notes that Junmyeon had left his closet door open. Junmyeon’s words ring through his head as he grabs the closet door, about to shut it when his gaze lands on a photograph on the back of the door. It is of him and Junmyeon, from last year when they had gone hiking with a bunch of friends, and that is the only photo in the entire room. Suddenly, he realises what Junmyeon meant. 

He comes out into the living room and screams. He doesn’t know if Junmyeon did hurt Minseok, and his head hurts, he doesn’t want to  _ even  _ think Junmyeon would hurt anyone. He knows Junmyeon wouldn’t, he knows Junmyeon isn’t capable of it, he won’t even hurt the rat eating through all their wires last year. He knows violence makes Junmyeon squeamish; they could never watch any gory action movie without Junmyeon shutting his eyes and groaning about it.

Now, he was gone. Minseok was gone. The small apartment suddenly felt too big for him and he wants to run, to scream. He tugs his own hair and kicks the back of the couch.

But, Lu Han and Dr Zhang? He doesn’t know them, he doesn’t what they are or aren’t capable of. So, he rushes out of the house, phone in hand, trying to find Lu Han’s address. The college website gives him an address and he flags down a cab. It takes a little less that fifteen minutes and to his great surprise, he finds Lu Han sitting in the living room, behind the huge glass windows, a poor mimic of French windows. 

Lu Han doesn’t notice him, his head bowed over a glass of something clear. Yifan stalks up the driveway, picking some rocks from the garden. He plays with one rock and throws it at the window, cracking it. Lu Han jolts at the sound and he screams, “You!”

Yifan shouts, “You killed him, you fucking bastard!” He throws another stone, which breaks the glass properly this time. He sees Lu Han shout into his phone, “He’s crazy, please send someone now!”

Yifan reckons Lu Han has called the cops. He throws one last rock that narrowly misses Lu Han and takes off in a run. 

Meanwhile, at the police station, Jeongyeon rushes into Kyungsoo’s office, her eyes wide, “Sir! There has been a disturbance reported at doctor Zhang and professor Lu Han’s house!”

Sehun was in the room with Kyungsoo, and he grins, “Time to bring the couple in, eh?”

 

Yixing and Lu Han are both brought to the station and put in separate interrogation rooms. When they received the news that Minseok has been murdered, they both went into a stupor. Yixing seemed impassive but Lu Han started silently weeping; Sehun almost felt bad for him, almost.

However, Kyungsoo wanted to wait, wanted them to get uncomfortable in the rooms, so he sends Sehun to get the camera footage from the botanical gardens; Sehun narrows his eyes at his partner, who smirks.

But Sehun goes, because he didn’t mind running into Seokjin again. Perhaps he wouldn’t, Seokjin could be working in some other corner of the garden. He reaches the garden and to his disappointment, he encounters another employee, who escorts him to the office. As the employee goes over the footage, Sehun looks outside and sees a tree with bright yellow flowers dropping from it. And underneath it, he finds Seokjin rummaging through the grass. Sehun glances at the employee, who is still searching for the required footage. Thus, he steals away from the office and marches towards Seokjin.

His footsteps alert the man, who looks up, his face breaking into a beatific smile; Sehun’s heart almost stops. “Sergeant Oh!”

Sehun shoves his hands in his pocket and nods at the basket of long pod-like things Seokjin had beside him, “What’s that?” He also notices a lot of pods scattered on the ground.

Seokjin grins as he picks more pods up and chucks them into the basket. “These are laburnum seed pods.”

Sehun points up at the yellow tree, “This tree? Laburnum?”

“Yes,” Seokjin dusts his gloved hands on his overalls. His voice gets on a dreamy tone as he speaks, “Beautiful, isn’t it? It came from the UK a long time ago, you know. But as beautiful it is, it is one of the deadliest plants ever.”

“Deadly?”

“Yep,” Seokjin points at the pods at his feet. “See those? Those are laburnum seeds, highly poisonous. A little amount of enough to kill a full grown man. In fact, every inch of this tree is poisonous to animals and humans. I need to get these pods out of the way before someone picks it and touches it.”

Sehun gapes up at the tree; he can’t believe a tree this beautiful can be this toxic. The flowers droop vertically, making a curtain over his head. But he believes the expert, so he says, “Fascinating.”

Seokjin smiles, his face slightly flushed. Sehun smiles back at him, the proper words on the tip on his tongue when he hears someone call him, “Sergeant Oh! I have your videos!”

Seokjin bows and goes back to picking the pods up. Sehun groans inwardly as he joins the office employee. He murmurs, “Uh, see you around Seokjin-sshi.”

Seokjin peers up through his bangs, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “See you around sergeant Oh.”

As Sehun exits through the office, he halts at the souvenir shop. A book on all the plants in the garden attracts his attention, so he swiftly parts with six thousand won and gets it. Now, the task will be to hide the book from his partner.

 

Back at the station, Sehun returns to find Kyungsoo pushing him into the room with Lu Han while he himself enters the room with Yixing. Kyungsoo grins, “Time to make them spill their beans.”

Sehun rolls his eyes and enters the room. Lu Han looks up from his coffee, his eyes rimmed red as he says, “Why are you holding me? You guys haven’t even charged me.”

Sehun shrugs, “That we will decide soon, but for now, the usual questions. Where were you last night?”

Lu Han groans, “Home, with my husband.”

“Are you sure?” Sehun asks. He crosses his legs and sends Lu Han his most condescending look. “I mean, you weren’t having another clandestine meeting with your lover, Minseok, were you?”

Lu Han startles, his hand shakes and a bit of the cold coffee splashes onto the table. “How…”

“That’s a long story, but for now, tell me, when did you last see Minseok?”

Lu Han groans again, rubbing his face, “Yesterday, at the park, it was after lunch.” He swallows, his eyes boring into the table, “I, he broke up with me.”

“Broke up with you? That’s a motive.”

Lu Han looks up, eyes blazing, “Do you really think I would murder him? I was fond of him, extremely so!”

“So you weren’t mad at all that he dumped you?” Sehun quirks an eyebrow.

Lu Han shakes his head, “He was going to eventually one day. I am an old man now mister, and he had his whole life ahead of him. If he wanted to go, I wouldn’t stop him.”

“So, you weren’t at all upset?”

“No,” Lu Han looks at Sehun and his steady gaze makes Sehun believe him. 

Sehun cocks his head to the side and crosses his arms. “And what about Chanyeol?”

“What about him?” Lu Han asks, his brows scrunching in confusion.

“Did you kill him?’

Lu Han’s frown deepens, “Why would I kill him?”

“He was going to whisk your husband away to the States, didn’t you know?”

“Yixing is leaving?” Lu Han murmurs, eyes widening and his nostrils flaring as he starts breathing heavily.

Sehun narrows his eyes. “You didn’t know…”

Meanwhile, in the other room, Yixing chuckles, “Really now inspector Do, do you really think I would get my hands dirty? I could have easily had have him suspended and ensured that he never gets into another college or get a job anywhere in Korea.”

Kyungsoo is almost impressed by Yixing’s composure and can’t help but believe him. In the ten minutes he has been here, asking Yixing about the murder, not once has Yixing faltered. He had an iron soul and an one track mind, steadfastly determined. And Kyungsoo could see, Yixing would never ruin his immaculate reputation for Minseok, or his own husband for that matter. Kyungsoo leans forward and asks, “So, you never met him?”

Yixing sighs and crosses his arms, leaning back, “Okay, I did. In the afternoon, just to spook him I went to his apartment. He was sufficiently spooked because the very next hour he dumped my lying, cheating scumbag of a husband.”

“How did you know he dumped Lu Han?”

Yixing shrugs, “I followed him. Not my first time intervening into my husband’s indiscretions officer.”

Kyungsoo scoffs, “I am afraid for your husband now, you wouldn’t murder him next, would you?”

Yixing’s laidback expression suddenly transform into a pained frown. “Murder him? No.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes as he looks at the side, “No matter what, I always seem to forget his shortcomings.”

The couple are let go after a few minutes since they couldn’t hold them for anything and Zitao was still running tests. Kyungsoo and Sehun meet at the breakroom and the older man stirs some sugar into his tea and says, “Can’t believe I am saying this, but Dr Zhang still cares for his husband, can  _ you  _ believe?”

Sehun shrugs, tearing into the packet of sweet custard bread. “Love is a puzzle to me hyung.”

Kyungsoo chuckles, “Of course, former churchboy, you definitely never had teenage indiscretions!”

Sehun glares at him as he takes a bite of his snack. “As if you do. Who marries their school sweetheart and divorce them within a year?”

“Hey,” Kyungsoo throws the empty sachet of sugar at Sehun. “We thought forever was real.”

“How about now? Will you attempt forever again? You do have potential candidates,” Sehun smirks next as he chews his bread.

Kyungsoo is about to ask whatever the hell does Sehun mean when his phone rings. He says, “Ah, Zitao, he must be done with the report.”

Sehun thinks, speak of the devil and he shall appear, or call, in this circumstance.


	8. It is when we hurt that we learn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by Steve Maraboli

The two policemen enter the forensic lab and find Zitao hunched over his table. Kyungsoo had grabbed a chocolate bar on the way and when Zitao receives it, his face brightens and Sehun swears he is shooting hearts at Kyungsoo (how does the detective not see?). Zitao tears the wrapper and starts, “So, as I said earlier, blunt force trauma. He might have lived for a few more minutes, I mean if he was found as soon as he got hit, he would have lived. Thus, the time of death is a good twenty four hours.”

“Twenty four?” Kyungsoo says. “That means, he was killed sometime after dumping Lu Han.”

Sehun nods. “And apparently, Yixing followed Minseok to the park and then he followed Lu Han back to the college. I mean, they are married and they could be lying, but we can as well ask around the college.”

Kyungsoo nods in agreement. Zitao continues, “No toxins in blood, just some tea and cake in his stomach. And oh, I found some trace material. Wool fibres from a rug or carpet, blue and red, all over his clothes.”

Sehun perks up, “So, he was killed somewhere else and carried to the woods wrapped in a carpet?”

“I will send a search party,” Kyungsoo says as he whips his phone out and sends a text. Sehun’s phone rings and he sees it’s from Jeongyeon. He listens to her and when he puts down the phone, his eyes are wide with worry, “Hyung, Wu Yifan is missing.”

 

Yifan after running away from Lu Han’s home, had ran into the woods. Junmyeon gets the call from Kyungsoo and he curses out loud. His friend, the one he is staying with till he finds other accommodations, Taemin, jumps in surprise and nearly splashes the ramen he was serving them on himself. “What the hell Junmyeon?”

Junmyeon chews his lip, “Yifan, he is missing, and he attacked professor Lu Han’s house.”

Taemin frowns, “Why did he attack Lu Han’s house?”

Junmyeon is about to answer that, but then he shuts up. No, he is not going to sully Minseok’s reputation like this; he has already lost too much, he won’t tarnish his memory of Minseok to the world. He shakes his head and gets up from the kitchen table. “I need to go find him. He’s sad, angry, who knows what the hell he will end up doing to himself.”

Taemin’s gaze softens; he is the only one knows how Junmyeon feels about Yifan. So, he gets the keys to his car and hands it to Junmyeon with a small smile, “Take my car.”

Junmyeon mumbles, “Thank you.” He has a hunch where he will find Yifan.

Junmyeon drives around the back of the botanical gardens, towards the vegetable patch. He remembers coming here once a long time ago, in his freshman year. There was too much beer and too many people hitting on him. He remembers how Yifan glared at them all away. Yifan could tell Junmyeon was uncomfortable and perhaps, that was one of the many, many reasons he fell for him.

He parks the car and walks the rest of the way and true enough, he finds Yifan sitting under a tree, opposite the boundary wall. The dusk falls around them but he can recognise those hunched shoulder and beat up trainers anywhere. His footsteps makes Yifan look up and there are tears running down his cheeks. However, the blood smeared across his cheek alarms Junmyeon the most and he quickly closes the distance between them.

Junmyeon falls to his knees and cups Yifan’s face, his voice tight as he asks, “What, how did you hurt yourself?”

“I tripped and fell on my face,” Yifan explains.

Junmyeon smiles, his own heart suddenly weighing down in his chest, too full for love for this man before him. “Oh, you giant, clumsy fool. Come on.”

Junmyeon pulls Yifan to his feet and drags him to the car. The drive back to their apartment is silent and Junmyeon doesn’t try to initiate conversation. He sends a quick message to Kyungsoo, letting him know he has found Yifan and he is taking him home. When they enter the flat, Junmyeon pushes Yifan into his room and orders him to change out of his dirty clothes. Junmyeon rushes back to his room and grabs the first aid box.

He comes into the room to find Yifan out of his outer clothes, staring at the wall in his boxers. Junmyeon hates the forlorn look on Yifan’s face, the guilt rises inside him anew. He grabs a shirt from Yifan’s wardrobe and nudges him. Yifan takes it and puts it on; Junmyeon points at the bed, gesturing Yifan to sit down. Yifan obeys and Junmyeon gets to work. He cleans the blood off and Yifan winces at the antiseptic. Junmyeon tries to be as gentle as possible, sighing when he sees the wound is superficial.  

Junmyeon had turned on the one bedside lamp and Yifan is looking at him, feeling a little less upset and lonely. He wants to ask Junmyeon so many questions, but he can’t find the words, watching Junmyeon tend his wounds. He remembers all the times Junmyeon has tended to the many cuts he would get when cooking or all the time he would get sick and Junmyeon would stay beside him, making sure he was okay and comfortable. He remembers all the exam mornings Junmyeon would drag him out of bed so he doesn’t end up getting late to the exam hall, or the nights before when he would leave snacks for him, so that he doesn’t forget to eat while studying. His throat clogs up with an unnamed emotion. Why when he thinks about Junmyeon, he thinks about all this things that fills him up with fondness? But why, when he thinks about Minseok, all he feels is regret and anger, a darkness slowly poisoning him? After all, he is not the kind to go vandalise people’s properties. Before he can control himself, he blurts out, “You never told me.”

Junmyeon is gently sticking the band aid on Yifan’s cheekbones, and he hums, “Told you what?”

“How you felt for me,” Yifan whispers.

Junmyeon gasps inaudibly. His lips part a little before he closes them, squeezing his eyes shut. He swallows the cry wanting to rip through his soul and shakes his head as he puts the first aid box back into order; Minseok hated it when Junmyeon would misplace items. He says, “What would you have done Yifan if I did tell you how I felt? You never saw me, for you I was just in the background. You only had eyes for Minseok and I don’t want to hold that against you anymore.” He gets to his feet and walks towards the door. Yifan feebly calls, “Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon sniffs, “I am sorry Yifan. He is dead because of me. If I wasn’t so selfish and petty, Minseok would still be alive.”

Yifan swallows, feeling that rage trying to claw through his chest again. He heaves, pulling it back as he says, “That’s what I don’t get Junmyeon, you are not petty or selfish. You are one of the kindest people I have ever known...”

Junmyeon chuckles, rubbing his face, “I guess loves makes the worst of us come out.” He looks at Yifan and continues, “I am really sorry, I just, I just wanted you to hurt Yifan, and now that I do see the hurt I have caused, I don’t think I will ever forgive myself.”

Yifan widens his eyes, his head buzzing. Junmyeon speaks again, “I will leave, you don’t want me here. I will return tomorrow with breakfast if you’d like. And Minseok’s parents will be here, so uh, there’s that.” He turns around and leaves, not even glancing once again at Yifan and Yifan can’t solve the mess of emotions inside him.

Junmyeon is wrong, he does want Junmyeon to stay here, that he realises with startling clarity.

 

In between the rush of packing Minseok’s things and helping his parents settle up at the hotel, Junmyeon doesn’t get to talk to Yifan much, which is a blessing because last night was something Junmyeon wants to forget. He is at the library right now with the librarian breathing down his neck to leave since it is quite late, but he cannot leave without finishing his work. Yet, his mind is not on his work but back with Yifan and he is twirling the pen in his fingers as he considers the thought of leaving entirely and maybe transfering to another school affiliated to the university. He is sure he will find some in Daegu.

He gives up on his work and makes the librarian sigh in relief as he walks out. He bids her good night over his shoulder and takes the stairs. The college after dark is strange place, like he is stepped onto another reality because he doesn’t recognise it. The shadows seem darker, evil and Junmyeon shudders. Something about big spaces devoid of people at empty hours. He is on the ground floor, walking towards the cycle garage when he hears voices, a female voice clearly says something. He peeks around the corner and sees something that has his gasping and falling back immediately.

He runs to his bicycle and hops on it. He is trying to understand what he just saw: Bae Joohyun and Choi Minho were kissing each other. And the thing she said? What is “over”?

He shakes his head to clear it; his legs pump up and down as he cycles back to Taemin’s flat. The roads are empty and quiet, and it isn’t that awful an exercise in the summer night air. His head is filled with Yifan now that he is not thinking of anything else. He wants to leave, he should have left before he even sent that first message. The guilt punches him in his chest again and he thinks about his friend, poor Minseok whose only crime was to be involved in an affair and be the one Yifan was in love with. He is so caught up in his head that he doesn’t hear the car crawling behind him. Then, something smashes into the cycle and he is hurled forward. His fall is broken when he lands on his side, his leg hits something, he hears wheels burning the tarmac and his vision blurs before darkness takes him under.

 

Yifan bursts through the doors in the ER ward in the early hours of the morning. He came running when he got the news from sergeant Oh. He finds Junmyeon easily enough, a large band-aid on his temple and his arm covered in gauze with his leg in a brace. He finds a nurse tending to him and she halts him; he quickly explains, “I am his friend.”

“Oh,” she nods. She looks down at Junmyeon’s unconscious body and says, “Your friend is lucky he didn’t get hit on his head directly. He still broke a bone in his leg though.”

Yifan murmurs, “What, what happened?”

“It was a hit and run, the cops found his bicycle all smashed. An early morning commuter found him.”

Yifan sucks in a deep breath and the woman leaves him alone. He looks down at Junmyeon, his small body drowning in the standard hospital ground. Yifan’s knees feel weak, so he drags a chair and sits down beside the bed, a sob breaking through as he grabs Junmyeon’s limp hand. He rubs his thumb over Junmyeon’s knuckles, looking down at him, the large bandage strapped on the side of temple, multiple small cuts and scratches on his pale face. He looks so vulnerable, so unlike the cheerful, frantic, sometime moody Junmyeon he knows.

Somewhere in his heart, he knows he blames Junmyeon, but a bigger part of him knows it wasn’t Junmyeon’s fault. Didn’t he try to threaten Lu Han and broke his window because he was jealous? Junmyeon was right about love turning them into the worst versions of themselves. Junmyeon was, however, wrong though about one thing, he was never invisible to Yifan. How could someone miss him? Not when he had the worst jokes to say followed by the brightest laugh? Not when he would fuck a simple preparation of stew up and then pout down at it, his eyes terribly apologetic, as if he could wish away the saltiness if he made sad eyes at it for long enough? Not when he would forget the third coffee cup in his room and Minseok would scold him, and he would get terribly flustered, his cheeks flushed? Yifan always saw him, just never noticed he was looking, he was always looking, wasn’t he?

Junmyeon eyes slowly open and his brows furrow when he finds Yifan smiling down at him, his voice low and rough as he mumbles, “Hey.”

Junmyeon blinks a few times, trying to understand where he is and why does parts of his body hurt. He asks, his voice terribly dry, “What, what happened?”

Yifan drags his chair closer and brushes the hair off Junmyeon’s eyes. “You had an accident.”

“An accident?” Junmyeon’s eyes widen. He tries to think back and the only thing he remembers someone banging into his bicycle. “Ah, right. I flew off my bike.” Then he notices the bulk on his leg and the dull ache, “Did I break something?” His heart is thumping loudly, Yifan hadn’t removed his hand from his hair, his fingers running through it, too gentle for Junmyeon to handle.

Yifan smiles, one of those gummy smiles Junmyeon adores, “Your leg. They said you are lucky it wasn’t your head.”

Junmyeon is suddenly aware of his hand in Yifan’s. He murmurs, “Yifan…”

Yifan shakes his head. “Don’t, don’t say anything.” He squeezes his eyes shut, takes a deep breath, opens them again and says, “Come back to the apartment, you need someone to take care of you.”

Junmyeon frowns, “I can’t go back there, not after what I did.”

Yifan looks down at his lap, shaking his head. “Junmyeon, if I was you, I would do the same, perhaps. You were only jealous.”

Tears well up in Junmyeon’s eyes, his head suddenly hurting. He whispers, “I can’t forgive myself.”

Yifan cups the side of Junmyeon’s face and tenderly swipes his thumb under his eyes, wiping the tear away. “You didn’t kill him.”

“But someone tried to kill you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, four more chapters to go!! i had planned 13, but it actually neatly tied up within 12! and who do you think is the killer? and don't tell me it's jin


	9. The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by Margaret Atwood

“But someone tried to kill you.”

The two friends are startled to see Sergeant Oh and Detective Inspector Do standing at the foot of the bed. Kyungsoo is the one said the words that has Yifan widening his eyes and asking, “What do you mean?”

Kyungsoo and Sehun come to stand by Junmyeon’s side and the older policeman says, “When we got the news that you have been involved in a hit and run, we decided to look a bit closer. So we pulled up CCTV footage, we found a car hitting you from the back. And it was intentional, the car waited behind you for a moment before speeding up and ramming into you. The night was dark and the streetlamps don’t work that well on the stretch you were travelling, so, we have our best guys on it to clear the images up so we can find the person who hit you.”

Yifan’s grip tightens and Junmyeon winces a bit. “Someone deliberately did this to him?”

“Yes, mister Wu,” Sehun says, frowning slightly, “And we do not need you to go exact revenge on anyone. You should feel lucky that professor Lu Han didn’t press charges on you for vandalism.”

Yifan bows his head, his ears turning red in shame. Junmyeon tries to get up, and Yifan helps him. He puts his hands back on Junmyeon’s again, both his large hands covering Junmyeon’s smaller one. Kyungsoo takes a brief glance at that, a small smile on his face. Sehun continues, “Now, mister Kim, please describe what you did last night, if you had seen or heard anything. Any small details will do.”

Junmyeon clears his throat; Kyungsoo hands him a water bottle. Junmyeon takes it, takes a large gulp, and murmurs, “Thank you inspector.” He hands it back to Kyungsoo and says, “I was at the library till closing time, at least an extra hour after closing time. The librarian likes me, so she allowed me to stay. Then, I felt tired so I decided to go back home.” He swallows as he frowns, “I, I remember I saw something. Or heard someone say “It’s over”...but I can’t remember who said it.” Junmyeon scowls, his face flushed as he strains his memory, “I can’t, why can’t I remember?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It’s all right. Temporary memory loss is expected, you had a traumatic experience.”

Sehun shoves his hands in his pockets, his brows scrunched so deep, they are almost meeting in a line. “You heard someone say it’s not over? Can you remember if it was male, or female?”

Junmyeon shakes his head, but halting, tilting his head for a moment as he slowly speaks, “It must have been female, I think. It was faint, I almost think I might have imagined it...”

Yifan frowns up at Kyungsoo when he sees how much paler and tired Junmyeon looks from the interrogation. “Inspector, no offence, but he needs to rest.” Junmyeon blushes and the officers share an amused look between them before Sehun nods, “Alright, Mr Kim and Mr Wu, we will leave you alone. We will leave an officer outside, for protection. And please, don’t go looking for trouble Mr Wu.”

Yifan blushes, ducking his head down, looking all sheepish as Junmyeon scoffs, “I will make sure he won’t.”

The policemen leave and Junmyeon crumples into himself. “I don’t believe this. Why would anyone try to kill me?”

Yifan shrugs; he gets to his feet and releases Junmyeon’s hand from his. His stomach grumbles and he remembers he had no dinner last night, so he says, “I don’t know why. Anyway, I am hungry, I will get something to eat, would you like anything?” When Junmyeon shakes his head, Yifan leans down and softly brushes his lips over Junmyeon’s eyebrow, murmuring, “I am just glad you are okay. I was afraid I was going to lose you too.”

Yifan smiles one last time before leaving the ward, leaving a very confused Junmyeon behind. Junmyeon’s hand shakes as he touches the spot Yifan kissed him and his heart races, violently, and he is afraid everyone will be able to hear it. Junmyeon looks down at his plastered foot and wonders if Yifan has forgiven him. But then again, that doesn’t matter anymore, Junmyeon knows he will never forgive himself.

 

Sehun is smoking his first cigarette of the day as he and Kyungsoo head back to the station in the latter’s car. Kyungsoo wrinkles his nose and comments, “I thought you were quitting?”

Sehun laughs, “I quit every year.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head; at least Sehun doesn’t go through a whole pack in a day like he did when he first met the younger. He takes a week at the most to finish a pack nowadays and Kyungsoo is  _ almost  _ proud. “You need someone to be firm with you and beat you every time you smoke.”

Sehun rolls his eyes. “If that is a reason you are trying to give me to go date, I will look for other, sensible, methods.”

Kyungsoo grins, “Who said anything about dating? You could have just asked me, or any of your friends.”

Sehun squints, he knows where this is going. “Shut up hyung. I am sure Seokjin-sshi is not single.”

Kyungsoo laughs, “So, you do like him!”

Sehun bites his tongue when he realises Kyungsoo tricked him. He jabs a finger at his partner and hisses, “Oh, you don’t get to say anything when you are yet to ask Zitao out!”

They are at the station and Kyungsoo almost rams his car into another parked car at Sehun’s words. He swivels his head around to glare at Sehun and the latter can’t help but compare the older to an owl right now in his head. Kyungsoo rambles, “What the hell do you mean? Zitao is, uh, just a friend, why would I want to date him? That’s just absurd, I mean—”

Sehun raises his hands up and smirks, “How about we make a deal? I ask Seokjin out, only if you ask Zitao out? Or the other way around?”

“What the fu—” Kyungsoo feels his entire body blushing by how warm he feels even though the windows are down and there is a light breeze blowing through the car.

Sehun grins as he gets down from the car. His parting words leave Kyungsoo extremely vexed: “It’s only fair, hyung. You have liked him longer than I have known Seokjin-sshi after all. It is only fair.”

 

Kyungsoo cannot forget what Sehun said in the car, even though it has been an hour and he is in the woods searching for a carpet. It also doesn’t help that Zitao is with the team, and he does look nice in his plaid shirt and black slacks. Kyungsoo didn’t really want a relationship since the last one crumbled to dust eight years ago. But, he can’t deny that he always had a soft spot for the coroner since he arrived to this town five years ago.

Zitao was an outsider like him too, but he knew this town better than Kyungsoo did. He did finish his education here, and he helped a lot with acclimatising Sehun and Kyungsoo to the town, and the overbearing politics permeating through the police department, the local government and the omnipotent university that tries so very hard to be subdued. Kyungsoo is grateful to Zitao for a lot of things, and perhaps over the years, he might have started to like him.

They are nearing the stream that runs through the woods when Kyungsoo notices he has fallen in step beside Zitao. Kyungsoo clears his throat, suddenly determined to take Sehun’s advice to heart, “Hey Zitao?”

“Hm?” Zitao is slightly distracted as he spies an officer running down the rocks along the stream bank.

“It’s been a while since—” Kyungsoo doesn’t get to finish his sentence because an officer shouts, “Sir! I found it!”

Kyungsoo and Zitao rush forward and find the officer ankle deep in water, a sopping wet blue and red carpet in hand. The man smiles, “Can this be the one?”

Zitao takes it from the man, Kyungsoo giving him a hand. Kyungsoo too asks, “What do you think?” He notes they are standing too close, and perhaps Zitao notices their proximity too, because his cheeks are flush with colour as he murmurs, “I would need to run tests, but yes, possible.”

Kyungsoo steps back and scratches his ear. “Don’t think you will find any prints or DNA, right?”

Zitao shakes his head. “I don’t think so, it has been marinating in the water for a while, though carpet fibres are denser.” His phone suddenly rings and he picks it up, his face turning into a frown. When he puts it down, he finds Kyungsoo looking at him in askance. He says, “So, I told Jihyo to look closer at the wound on Minseok’s head and she tells she found cement on it.”

Kyungsoo frowns, “Cement?” He looks to his side, watching the stream flow serenely, hears a summer bird chirp as his brain whirs. He slowly says, his words drawled out, “Cement...could his death be accidental?”

Zitao shrugs as he passes the carpet to be bagged by another tech. “Cement is used to make plenty of home decor items too.”

Kyungsoo nods but he can’t shake off the feeling that Minseok’s death is not what it seems like. Zitao coughs a little, Kyungsoo looks back at him and the coroner asks, his voice soft, unsure, “You were telling me something a while ago?”

Kyungsoo knows his face is red, so he quickly looks away again and chuckles, “No, no, it wasn’t anything important.” Moment over, his sudden courage has flowed away with the stream.

 

While Kyungsoo was searching for the carpet in the woods, Sehun returned to Chanyeol’s apartment. His intuition tells him he missed something, and to his utmost dismay, he couldn’t get in touch with Dr Choi. Sehun would have liked to drag Choi into the station but Jaejoong politely reminded him that Choi was a respected member of the college, friends with some important people, and he would need a solid reason. Sehun tried to argue that he could hold the key to the Chanyeol mystery, but Jaejoong wanted proper evidence.

Well, that’s why Sehun returns to Chanyeol’s apartment, hoping he finds something,  _ anything. _ Scraps of paper and an illegally obtained bank record weren’t enough. Since, Chanyeol’s house was now a part of their investigation, Sehun decided to look here again. 

Sehun rummages through the walk-in closet, something he had just glanced in previously—a mistake maybe. However, he finds nothing there except for a few expensive Rolex watches. At least Dr Park had good taste in watches. He moves on to the bedroom again and it is scant, too empty. A bed, a bedside table and lamp completed the room. Sehun remembers his own mess of an apartment and shakes his head.

The bed is just a mattress on the a thin slab of wood, and honestly, it doesn’t look much, but Sehun decides to flip the mattress over. And he gasps when he finds an envelope underneath it. He bites his tongue at his oversight and picks it up. He turns the envelope and is surprised to find Dr Zhang’s signature on it. Sehun opens the envelope and to his ever increasing surprise finds copies of images from a yearbook, or a magazine perhaps.

He is even more surprised when he recognises the two people in most images—Byun Baekhyun and Bae Joohyun. They are in all pictures with another man, slightly older. A caption underneath tells Sehun it is Dr Choi Minho, a rather handsome man. So, Bae Joohyun and Byun Baekhyun probably knew each other. He whips his phone out and dials Yixing’s number.

The professor picks it up, his voice condescending to the maximum as he says, “Yes, sergeant Oh?”

Sehun frowns, “Uh, how did—”

Yixing sighs, “I have come to recognise your and your partner’s phone numbers, unfortunately.”

Sehun grins, “Well, good for us. Anyway, I want to ask, why is your name on an envelope under Dr Park’s bed?”

Yixing is quiet for a second, obviously thinking before he makes a gasping sound and says, “Oh, right. Chanyeol wanted some things from the yearbook from two thousand three.”

Sehun feels something akin to lightning strike him. “Who copied these?”

“Miss Bae of course.”

Sehun’s voice gets a frantic edge as he asks, “When?”

Yixing hums, “Perhaps, a day after Chanyeol returned?”

“Did your secretary know why she was copying them?”

“No, I did not see any reason for informing her. Now, if  _ you  _ are done, I have a lecture in three minutes.”

Yixing disconnects before Sehun can express his gratitude. He mumbles, “Rude” at his phone, then pockets it. He looks down at the face of a young Bae Joohyun in his hand and wonders.  


	10. Before we can see properly we must first shed our tears to clear the way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title by Libba Bray

Sehun is hungry, and annoyed, because he couldn’t get through Dr Zhang’s office to enquire about Joohyun and he knew calling the professor wouldn’t help him. So, he decides to wait a while and get some lunch. He takes his car and drives to the market, where his favourite lunch house is located. Kyungsoo doesn’t like coming here since it is too loud and apparently, they don’t serve his favourite brand of soju. Whatever, Sehun doesn’t care and whenever Kyungsoo is too busy, he ends up here.

Today, however, a surprise awaits him when he finds Seokjin sitting in a booth alone, his lips in a pout as he reads the menu. Sehun now hates himself for smoking on the way because what if Seokjin doesn’t like smokers? He also isn’t carrying any mints or spray. He wonders if he can grab a takeout and leave before Seokjin notices him. But the shop is small and Sehun is gawking at the entrance and Seokjin notices him easily enough. He smiles and waves his hand, “Sergeant Oh!”

Sehun both thanks and curses his luck as he walks up to him. He puts a hand on the chair and asks, “Can I join?” Seokjin’s eyes widen slightly before he is nodding his head; Sehun sits down and smiles, “Get the beef chow mein, it’s superb.”

Seokjin grins, “Come here often? This is my first time here, actually.” Sehun nods; he understands. This market is far from the gardens but close to the police station. “I pass it every other month, but never stepped inside.”

Sehun now notes the plastic bag at the foot of the table. He asks, “How so?”

“Oh, there’s this organic fertiliser that comes all the way from India. I need it for the flowers and only one shop in the whole town sells it, it’s in this market, so I make the occasional trip,” he chuckles, covering his mouth and Sehun notes with fascination that his fingers are crooked, and then he realises this is the first time he is seeing Seokjin’s fingers ungloved. He briefly recalls touching them the first time they met, but Sehun wasn’t  _ looking.  _ Seokjin continues, “Just today, I got really hungry while shopping!”

“Lucky me,” Sehun says, and bites his tongue afterwards when he notes the way Seokjin’s lips part. “I mean, I got hungry too!”

They order two servings of chow mein and some dumplings; Sehun opts for water while Sehun buys an iced tea. They converse about their jobs as they eat, and Sehun is again transfixed by Seokjin’s mouth moving. He has been on dates with plenty people, but he has never seen lips as beautiful as Seokjin’s, and he won’t lie, he often thinks about kissing them. However, now is  _ not  _ the time for that; he’s on duty! He also learns Seokjin is two years older than him, which is hard to believe. Seokjin does that squeaky laugh of his and Sehun knows then that he is majorly fucked. 

While talking about the town, Seokjin says, “I actually did my graduation here. I have lived here for fifteen years now.”

Sehun blinks, he pulls out the envelope from his pocket and Seokjin watches with confusion as Sehun shows him a photograph. Sehun asks, “Do you know these people?”

Seokjin puts his chopsticks down as he takes the photograph. He recognises one face in particular, “Ah, Byun Baekhyun! The kid who died of an overdose, I remember the case.”

“So, you were there during this, uh, time?” Seokjin nods, Sehun taps on the photo, “Do you know this woman, Bae Joohyun?”

Seokjin shakes his head, “Not really, I was in another college, but she was like a friend of a friend of a friend. Like, I knew her from a distance and heard about her sometimes. But I think, she was in the same department as Baekhyun?”

Sehun licks his lips and takes a sip of water. He picks up on something from Seokjin’s words, “You said you heard about her sometimes, what did you mean by that?”

Seokjin chuckles as he hands the photo back. “As you can see, she was obviously pretty, and every guy from the medical to the law college sort of knew her, by sight, of course. Her beauty was uncomparable, I mean if she walked by you, people around you would whisper and point at her.” His cheeks suffuse with colour as he smiles, a little coquettish, “I don’t swing that way, so I didn’t care much. But I kind of remember, when in 2004, she had suddenly disappeared.”

Though Sehun hears the admission that Seokjin is into men, he skips that for now, files it away in the corner of his mind now kept aside for the man before him, and asks, “Disappeared?”

Seokjin nods, “There were rumours, so many. Some said she had dropped out, some said she was pregnant, some speculated she was sleeping with one of the teachers—though I deem that pure envy from her peers, I remember my friend saying she was a brilliant student .” He shrugs, “No one knew what happened to her.”

Sehun says, “She is in the Genetics Department, working as Dr Zhang’s secretary.”

Seokjin’s eyes widen. “Well, I haven’t really been in loop since graduating.” He whistles, then frowns, “Huh, Joohyun, Baekhyun...they were in the same department…” he gasps then, realising something, “Park Chanyeol! No wonder his name was bothering me! He was in the same department as them! He was friends with my friend!”

Sehun frowns, “Which department?”

“Pharmacology, as far as I can remember.”

 

Sehun does not wait to be polite, or proper anymore. He barges into Dr Zhang’s office right after he is done with lunch (and taking Seokjin’s number, for um, professional purposes of course, in case he remembers any vital information). To his relief, Zhang’s not in, but Miss Bae is. The woman is taken aback to see Sehun, she says, “Um, sir isn’t in his office right now, I can take a message from him if you’d want?”

Sehun shakes his head as he shoves his hands in his pockets. “That won’t be necessary. I am here to talk to you Miss Bae.”

Joohyun raises an eyebrow, but keeps her face impassive. Her gaze sharpens, a bit calculative as she slowly says, “Me?”

“Did you know Dr Park and the late Byun Baekhyun?” Sehun chooses to not beat about the bush. Joohyun inhales deeply before her head jerks up and down, a minute action but Sehun catches it. He frowns, closing in, “Three people are dead Miss Bae, and every death circles back to this college. You were there when Mr Byun died, and you are here for Park and Kim’s death. And you know what’s funny? You all seem to connected to this Choi Minho person.”

Sehun is looking closely at Joohyun, and he sees it, a flash of indignation pass in her eyes when he takes Choi Minho’s name. Her jaw clenches when she says, her tone biting and angry, “That was a long time ago, sir. Yes, I was in college with Chanyeol and Baekhyun, but we weren’t friends.”

Sehun brings out the yearbook copies, “Care to explain?”

Joohyun takes it and her nostrils flare as she sighs. She shoves the copies back at Sehun and says, “Fine, Dr Choi, Baekhyun and I were involved in the annual exhibition for the pharmacology department back in 2003. I never knew Baekhyun personally, and same goes for Chanyeol.”

Sehun puts the copies back in his pocket and tilts his head to the side. “But you went away a year later, didn’t you?” Sehun watches her lips part, slightly and her hands fist at her side. “I have heard rumours.”

Joohyun eyes flashes with anger, potent this time. She is about to attack when the door opens to Yixing, who groans, “Sergeant Oh, why are you here?”

Sehun turns around and bows, “Sorry for the intrusion, I am not here for you, Dr Zhang.”

Yixing raises an eyebrow, his face morphed into the most impressive expression of disbelief. “Oh, really?” Then he looks over Sehun’s shoulder and addresses his secretary, “Joohyun, I need you to book me tickets.”

Sehun asks, “Going somewhere?”

Yixing brushes past him, hands Joohyun’s some papers and replies to Sehun, “Yes, Oxford. Now if you will excuse me.” He disappears into his office.

Sehun watches Joohyun settling at her desk. He tells her, “I will be back Miss Bae.”

 

Sehun doesn’t return but he does find Joohyun’s address and Kyungsoo joins him as they stake out her house. She lives in a cottage close to the hospital and they take their fake wifi company van. Kyungsoo, after listening to everything Sehun has discovered today, says, his hands steepled under his chin, “So, you think Joohyun was somehow involved in Baekhyun’s death, and in the two recent deaths as well?”

Sehun nods his head. Kyungsoo leans back, thinking himself. Stake outs are usually long and boring, and Joohyun after returning home at six hasn’t really moved. His gaze lands on the book Sehun was reading as they waited. He picks it up and snorts, “So, are you brushing up on your knowledge on plants to impress a certain somebody?”

Sehun tries to snatch it away, but Kyungsoo is quicker. He opens the book and Sehun groans, but lets it go as he gets back to stare at the monitors, displaying feed from the cameras inconspicuously placed outside the van. Suddenly, Sehun hears Kyungsoo speak, his voice frantic, “Hey, Zitao? Can you do me a favour? Can you recheck Chanyeol’s blood? Yeah, okay, thanks.”

Sehun frowns at his partner when Kyungsoo puts down the phone. Kyungsoo scoots closer and points at a portion in the book, reading aloud, “Laburnum, or the Golden Chain tree, is extremely poisonous. They contain a poison called cytosine, whose chemical structure is similar to nicotine. In fact, it was being attempted to develop to replace nicotine in the First World War. Some scientists believed that cytosine could be harnessed to stop diseases such as cancer.” His eyes are wide and his voice shakes as he says, “Chanyeol was looking at this tree, remember?”


	11. Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from Teen Wolf

Sehun turns to face his partner, his head buzzing. Kyungsoo’s phone rings again and when he picks it up, Zitao confirms his worst suspicions. The call gets over and Sehun asks, “So, there was a mistake?”

“Yes, a common mistake,” Kyungsoo relays Zitao’s words. “Guess who had cancer, and guess who has a degree in pharmacology?”

Sehun whistles, “Im Yoona had cancer and she was married to Choi Minho.”

Kyungsoo slowly nods his head. A flurry of movement catches his eyes on the monitor; he cries, “Joohyun is on the move!”

Sehun slides the partition to the side and shouts at the officer at the wheel, “Follow her!”

They follow Joohyun, who hails down a taxi. Kyungsoo gasps when he realises, “Hey, aren’t we heading closer to the botanical gardens?”

Sehun too recognises the path. “Well, close enough…”

Then, Joohyun’s taxi swerves into a lane and the office at the wheel comments, “She is heading for the new housing developments close to the southern edge of the woods I think, sir.”

They follow the taxi, and it stops in front of a three-storeyed apartment complex. She gets downs and ducks inside the building. Sehun says to the officer, “Dongyoung, order for backup, and do a perimeter round, check for any other exits.”

Kyungsoo chimes in, “Yes, and stay till we call you in.”

Dongyoung nods, his hands reaching for the police com. Kyungsoo and Sehun step out and march into the complex. Sehun suddenly grabs Kyungsoo’s shoulder when his eyes land on the letter boxes. He points at a box, “Doctor Choi Minho.”

Kyungsoo nods; they check the floor for Minho and take the lift to the third floor. They step out and realise only one flat is occupied, which belongs to the teacher. They knock and Minho opens it, and frowns, “Yes?”

Sehun and Kyungsoo flash their badges. They hear a noise from the kitchen, and brush past Minho, entering the flat. Both detectives notice the step from the foyer to the hall, a step covered by an ugly rug. Sehun greets Joohyun, who was pouring herself wine, “Evening, Miss Bae.”

Joohyun widens her eyes and her hand shakes, sloshing the wine into the marble counter. Kyungsoo was keeping an eye on Minho, who steps forward, closer to Joohyun. Kyungsoo then notices a faint outline of dust under the coffee table. He kneels and remarks, “Haven’t been cleaning, have you doctor Choi?” He wipes his white handkerchief over the floor and when he turns it over, he smiles. The white of his handkerchief contrasts perfectly against the red and blue threads of a now absent carpet. “Guess what, Minseok was wrapped in a red and blue carpet as his body was carried to the forest.”

Joohyun speaks, her voice shaking, “There are plenty of red and blue carpets in the world.” She grabs Minho’s hand and says, “Tell them, oppa, how you threw away the carpet because I spilled wine on it.”

Sehun raises his hand, his voice simmering with anger, “Give up, you two.” he walks back to the rising and kicks away the rug. He flashes his penlight on the step and he sees the faint outline of rusted colouring, something he had seen only too often, thus, he recognises it immediately. “You have blood here, no matter how hard you tried to scrub away your crime.”

Joohyun opens her mouth to protest, but Minho speaks first, “It is over Joohyun, it is over.” He faces the policemen, and nods, “Yes, Minseok died here.” His face crumbles as he sighs, “But please, it was an accident.”

Kyungsoo raises his voice, “He was alive when he hit his head there Dr Choi! You could have called an ambulance and saved him!”

Joohyun screams, “No, no! He would have ruined everything if he had lived!”

Kyungsoo frowns as he watches Joohyun lean over the counter and cry. Sehun speaks, “Why so Miss Bae? What did Minseok see, or hear? Why was he even here?”

Minho inhales, his eyebrows pinching. “He wasn’t supposed to be here. But I found him on the street, looking lost and distraught, and I took pity on him.” He grabs the counter and continues, “We only knew each other by face, he was not my student. And I felt bad when I found him crying outside the complex.”

Sehun says, “He wandered here that day, after breaking up with Lu Han. The park is twenty to thirty minutes away from here.”

“I don’t know where he came from, but I invited him for some tea. And because, perhaps, I wasn’t his teacher, he spilled his story to me. Not so unlike yours and mine, Joohyun,” he says as he smiles down at the woman crying into his shoulder now.

Sehun’s voice dips as he speaks, “She was your mistress all those years ago, wasn’t she?”

Joohyun answers, “Yes, I was. I was having an affair with my professor.”

“So, you were pregnant?”

Joohyun looks up and nods, “I was. But…” another sob wrecks through her and she slumps against Minho, who holds her up by wrapping his arms around her. He explains, “We lost the child. Joohyun left for her hometown and I decided to leave. My wife died that year.” He looks at the policemen as he explains, “I never meant to hurt Minseok. I understood his woes. It’s just when he discovered my secret, I tried to stop him and he slipped, hit his hard on the rise.”

Joohyun adds, “He panicked and called me. There was blood everywhere, we weren’t sure if he was dead or alive, but he couldn’t be let out of this house alive…”

Kyungsoo’s voice booms as he says, “And what was that secret? That you killed Chanyeol, and Baekhyun, and perhaps your wife?”

Minho and Joohyun both gasp. Minho’s eyes are wide, “No, no, I would never hurt Yoona!”

Sehun stalks forward. “But she died. Did you kill her so you could be with your lover?”

Joohyun shakes his head, “He would never hurt unnie! You don’t understand!” Her voice gets hysterical, “He would never hurt her!” She claws at her hair as she cries, “This was all for her!”

Kyungsoo and Sehun share a confused look, before Kyungsoo’s brain kicks into place. He closes his eyes and sighs, “Cytosine.”

Minho jerks forward, surprised. Joohyun inhales, her breath ragged and her chest heaves. Sehun, however, is in the dark, “What do you mean hyung?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I see it now.” He turns to look at Sehun, “Remember how I read from the book that cytosine was researched as a probable cure for cancer?”

Minho scoffs, running his fingers through his hair. “Yes, I tried to create a cure for my wife. Yoona was left with very little time when I started my research. I come from a wealthy family, so it didn’t take me long to set up a lab in the basement of my house. Yoona knew I was trying, and I roped in Baekhyun and Joohyun to assist me. They were the brightest in my class and I paid them a small salary.”

Joohyun hugs herself as she nods. “We were assisting oppa, and also, we were his human trials.”

Kyungsoo inhales sharply, “That’s illegal.”

Minho nods, “Yes it was. We were running a bootleg lab and testing possibly lethal medicines. But,” he turns his gaze on Kyungsoo, his eyes pleading, “The first three trials went well! Yoona was almost improving!”

Kyungsoo reprimands, “Then, what? You became impatient, greedy, didn’t you?”

Minho rubs his face. “Yes. I changed the formula slightly, and Baekhyun readily agreed to be trialed on. However, I made a mistake and Baekhyun, oh god…”

Joohyun picks up, “He went into a seizure immediately. We kept amphetamine in the lab, in case we would need it to increase the potency of something. Oppa used a bit too much of it in his formula that time. And, Baekhyun died within ten minutes of administration. We tried everything to revive him, but…”

“And when Chanyeol returned, with proof of Baekhyun getting paid by you,” Sehun says. “You knew if it came out, you would be fucked, after all the limitations expire soon but not right now. If only Chanyeol had taken another few month to arrive...so, you killed him too.”

Joohyun shakes her head. “No, I did.” Minho groans, trying to stop her, but she cups his face and shakes her head, “No, I know you still kept the formula in your locker. I took it one day and broke into the labs at the college. I may have never finished my degree, but I was a good student. It took me a while to distil the cytosine. I knew I couldn’t simply knock Chanyeol out or be successful enough to stab him. So, I called him to the botanical gardens. I knew he wouldn’t feel threatened by me.” She chuckles, “After all, I am almost half his size! So, he never saw it coming when I hit from behind. I injected him and left him there, in some bushes. I couldn’t let him get to oppa.”

Kyungsoo says, “I am guessing you tried to knock down Junmyeon too, didn’t you?”

Minho widens his eyes, taken aback. “What?”

Joohyun nods again. “Yes, I know he saw us, and perhaps, heard us.”

Kyungsoo sighs as rubs his face. “But why Minseok?”

Sehun answers that question. “Let me guess, he saw the formula here, in your apartment and he is a student, he guessed what the formula was and he figured you were conducting illegal trials?”

Minho looks defeated as he admits, “Yes, he threatened me. Joohyun came to me when I asked her if she was responsible for Chanyeol’s death, she left the papers she took here and left. Minseok and I met a few hours later. I should have burned the papers immediately. He picked the papers up and tried to leave. But I grabbed him from the back and he slipped, hitting the back of his head on the step.”

Sehun shakes his head as he walks closer to them. “Doctor Choi Minho and Miss Bae Joohyun, I am arresting you for the murders of Byun Baekhyun, Park Chanyeol and Kim Minseok.”

Kyungsoo calls in the backup and Jeongyeon and Dongyoung show up at the door in no time, escorting the two criminals out to the waiting police van outside. As Joohyun and Minho climb into the van, she says, “Oppa, I never told you, but unnie knew about you and me.”

Minho is taken aback. “What do you mean?”

They sit down, beside each other, hands cuffed in front of them. Joohyun puts her head on his shoulder and says, “Unnie knew you were sleeping with me. When she was dying, she called for me one night. I may never see you again oppa, so I am telling you now. She told me that it gave her comfort knowing that even after she’s gone, I will be there for you.”

Minho knocks his head back and doesn’t try to stop the tears from falling down his face. His sins have finally caught up with him. He knew he was destined for doom when he watched Baekhyun die in his arms. It seems only fair that they finally caught him. How many time did Yoona ask him to give up, to stop playing god and try to cure something as impossible as cancer? He did anyway, he played god and he paid the price, thrice over.

Joohyun doesn’t regret anything; her only regret is her miscarriage. She wanted marriage and a home with Minho, and he chose to leave. But she didn’t hold that against him, he had lost Yoona after all and despite whatever it might be, Joohyun never hated Yoona. The older woman was like an older sister to her, almost a mother figure. She is upset that she couldn’t keep her promise of keeping Minho safe.

 

As Jeongyeon watches the van drive away, she whistles, “So, another win for Do and Oh, eh? Solved two cases at the same time! This is like a new record for you two!”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “This was a pretty dismal case, I’d say.”

Sehun agrees, “Both Baekhyun and Minseok didn’t need to die. They were only accidents.”

“Yeah, but Choi would have been jailed all those years ago for running trials without official approval.”

Jeongyeon puts her hands on her hips and remarks, “How much are you willing to bet Miss Bae stopped Choi from asking for help? She seems the overprotective type, and she tried to knock the poor kid down too. Junmyeon didn’t even hear their whole conversation!”

Sehun shakes his head, shoving his hand in his pocket. “Of course, he didn’t, but she didn’t know that now, did she? She had appointed herself Choi’s saviour. A poor man with a sick wife who would do anything for his wife.”

Jeongyeon hums, “I can see the appeal. But perhaps, not enough to kill.”

Kyungsoo bites his lips and murmurs, “All’s fair in love and war…”


	12. To fall in love is awfully simple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> source of chapter title is unknown

_ A few days later _

Yixing prints the one-way ticket and puts it in his laptop bag. He looks into his walk-in closet; guess he will send for his things later. He wonders if he should ask Lu Han to do it since his secretary is no longer available. He has packed his things in the two large suitcases, and he decides to let the rest of his things be, he can always buy the things he needs. He walks down into the kitchen and pours himself a glass of wine. His last night in this house that he and Lu Han worked so hard to buy. And now, he is leaving it, leaving him, leaving everything behind.

His lawyers have told him that he can file for divorce anytime he wants, the grounds for divorce are rock solid; but he is yet to have that discussion with Lu Han, and honestly, he might be leaving because he doesn’t want to have that conversation. You don’t give twenty years of your life to someone and just let it go. Yixing knows he is a fool to hold on, to think that perhaps one day Lu Han will come around. Despite the strength that he shows in his professional life, he is still as hopelessly romantic as he was when he met Lu Han during college. He just can’t throw it away, even though he should.

Maybe, the distance he will put between himself and Lu Han will be helpful. Maybe, it will allow Yixing to sever his ties, make him see clearer, allow him to move on. He finishes his drink and looks into the empty house. His heart breaks a little, and he claps a hand over his mouth as the first tear rolls down his cheek.

Some thirty minutes away, in the hotel bar, Lu Han sits at the counter, nursing his vodka. Yixing leaves tomorrow for Oxford, and a voice inside Lu Han screams to stop his husband. But why? Why should Yixing stay after all that he did? And why would Lu Han stop Yixing, his brilliant spouse who only needs to go forward in his life, shine bright in the medical world? Yixing always had a blind ambition that Lu Han respected and admired, to think he, after the things he did, after the pain he inflicted on him, can stop Yixing is worth a laugh. Yixing has worked too hard for Lu Han to be selfish and stop him.

Lu Han downs the drink in one gulp and his throat burns, and the tears that slips through, he can blame it on the burn of the alcohol.

 

Junmyeon stumbles into the kitchen, his crutches banging into the table. He curses softly, Yifan is probably sleeping and he doesn’t want to wake him up. However, he hears hurried footsteps behind him and Yifan comes into the kitchen, his brows furrowed as he groans, “Junmyeon, why the fuck are you moving?”

Junmyeon whips his head around and says, “I wanted some water.”

“You are supposed to call me,” Yifan clicks his tongue and coaxes Junmyeon to sit down. “Don’t go moving around when you absolutely don’t need to.”

Junmyeon feels like he got scolded by a parent and bows his head, feeling slightly ashamed. Yifan puts a glass of water in front of him and takes a seat himself beside him. His long fingers brushes against the cut along Junmyeon’s nose and he mumbles, “This may scar.”

Junmyeon tries to quiet his heart at Yifan’s barely there touch as he drinks his water. He finishes the whole thing in a gulp, puts it on the table and nods, “It will scar.” He chuckles, he had looked at himself in the mirror and realised he would be left with quite the scar on the side of his nose. “As my aunts would say, there goes any marriage potential!”

Yifan chuckles, softly, “Well, your aunts would be wrong. You’d still be beautiful.”

Junmyeon’s grip on the glass tightens as he mumbles, his head bowed as he hears his heart pulse in his ears, “Oh?”

Yifan’s fingers are back on Junmyeon’s face again, this time curling his fingers under Junmyeon’s chin, pushing it up. His lips brush against Junmyeon’s temple so tenderly that Junmyeon almost whimpers; then, he murmurs, “I do see you Junmyeon, you were never invisible, but perhaps, I was blind. I don’t want to be blind anymore.”

Junmyeon widens his eyes before they fill with tears and Yifan doesn’t wait to pull him against his chest. That night, Junmyeon cries and cries in their cramped kitchen, in Yifan’s warm embrace, and he cries for Minseok, and for himself. Maybe, someday, he will learn to forgive himself.

 

Sehun paces in front of his car, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. He is here, yes, but what if Seokjin still doesn’t show up? He was ecstatic when they exchanged numbers after lunch that day and Sehun texted him about getting dinner right away after the case was closed. And he nearly collapsed when Seokjin replied with a yes. 

He had raced home and cleaned up, putting on his more dressier slacks and a clean, white shirt with pink stripes. He even pushed his hair back. He is itching for a cigarette but he knows going on a first date with terrible breath is not recommended, so he tries his best to curb the urge.

After five more minutes of furious pacing, Seokjin exits through the main gates—Sehun feels his knees wanting to give away in relief. Sehun, however, is grinning next when he notes that Seokjin is wearing pink too, and looking ridiculously wonderful in his soft pink shirt and denims. Seokjin smiles, his eyes twinkling as he closes the distance. He refuses to meet Sehun’s eyes as he mumbles, “Hi, sorry for keeping you waiting. I had to do some last minute cleaning…”

Sehun shakes his head, inching closer to Seokjin. He feels brave enough to grab Seokjin’s wrist and says, his voice suddenly pitched higher than usual when he sees the way Seokjin’s lashes kiss his cheeks and gets a whiff of the cologne Seokjin is wearing, “Not a problem. I waited this long to ask you out, you can keep me waiting outside your house as long as you like.”

Sehun giggles, his face crinkling in that adorable way that knocks Sehun sideways. He looks up and his eyes widen minutely when he notices how close Sehun is standing to him. His eyes flicker, stealing glances at Sehun’s lips. Seokjin drags his teeth over his lower lip before he steps even closer. He puts his hand on Sehun’s chest, which is warm and firm, and whispers, “I have been waiting too long for another thing.”

Sehun’s lips slowly curve into a smile, he can see Seokjin looking at his mouth. He puts his other hand around Seokjin’s nape and tilts his head, leaning closer. He teases, “What is that?”

Seokjin grins before he moves his to the other side, “This.” Then, he puts his lips on Sehun’s, half-afraid that the younger won’t kiss him back, but then he is gasping when he feels Sehun kissing him back, his lips warm and soft, and so  _ eager _ . Sehun’s fingers wind into his hair, a voice in his head marvelling at how soft and sweet those lips are; and Seokjin’s fists his hand on Sehun’s chest, bunching up the shirt, trying to keep up with the way Sehun is kissing him sort of breathless. Their first date is off to a rather great start.

Kyungsoo takes a deep, deep breath as he walks out of the lift. He is walking down the corridor, heading to the coroner’s office. He had seen Sehun rushing out of the station today, to get home early so he can properly dress up for his date with Seokjin. Since Sehun held up his end of their silly bargain, Kyungsoo must do the honourable thing and hold up his end too.

Thus, Kyungsoo is now knocking on Zitao’s door, and when the coroner gives him permission to enter. Zitao is surprised to see Kyungsoo stand at the doorway. He asks, “Shouldn’t you be home? Your sergeant has already left, hasn’t he?”

Kyungsoo nods as he steps inside. “Yeah, he is on his first date with Seokjin-sshi.”

Zitao grins, “Finally, eh?” Kyungsoo laughs and scratches his ear, the nervousness returning full force and sucker punching him in his guts. Zitao picks up on it and he leans forward, elbows on his desk as he asks, “Hey, Kyungsoo? You okay?”

Kyungsoo flops down on the chair opposite Zitao, his entire body trembling at the prospect of rejection. He clasps his hands on the tabletop, trains his gaze on the whorls on the wooden surface, and says, “Uh, would you like to get dinner? And not like a dinner dinner, like you know, uh, an actual date.” He says all that in a single breath, so he inhales deeply and resumes, “So, Sehun said that if he asks Seokjin-sshi out, then, uh, I should ask, um, you out too.”

He hears Zitao gasp, then he makes a coughing sort of sound, like he can’t believe it and Kyungsoo dies inside. He still refuses to look at Zitao though, so when he feels warm hands on his, his head jerks up to see a very red Huang Zitao gazing down at their hands. Kyungsoo very intelligently says, “Huh?”

Zitao groans and shakes his head, looking at Kyungsoo with a deep scowl on his face that actually doesn’t look at all intimidating as he whines, “Never thought you would actually ask! Whatever took you so long!”

Kyungsoo just grins back, his heart is doing somersaults in his chest and he is much too happy to formulate an answer. Zitao looks away again, his cheeks darkening as he starts laughing. Kyungsoo laces their fingers together, squeezing them and Zitao grumbles under his breath, “For being the smartest detective here, you are sort of stupid.” Kyungsoo’s grin just gets bigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe, i see the major character death tag got y'all shaking, but this was a murder mystery, people would die  
> anyway, thank you so much for reading and leaving comments and kudos!! i am glad so many of you enjoyed my first try at a proper mystery like the ones that inspired me, the ones i read growing up [Christie, my queen]  
> i had SO much fun writing this! and i might try my hand at mystery again someday :)


	13. EXTRA: Jin X Sehun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suddenly feel the urge to add more to this, and I also can't stop writing/thinking about jin x sehun. send help. TT

Sehun rolls his eyes at Kyungsoo and Zitao being all idiotic and mushy in front of him. He's trying to eat his lunch and not barf it out as he watches Zitao feed Kyungsoo his rice. Apparently, Zitao has mastered his mother's famous seafood fried rice and he wanted to show off to his boyfriend. Well, it is sort of cute and the whole police station let out a collective sigh when they discovered that Kyungsoo finally asked Zitao out (Jaejoong won that bet, clearing Sehun's wallet out), it still makes Sehun roll his eyes and groan when he ends up third wheeling them.

It's not like he is single and alone. He and Seokjin are official as of three weeks ago when the older man and he went hiking and Seokjin shyly asked if they were a couple now. Sehun nearly wept out of joy and crushed Seokjin to his chest. And thinking of Seokjin, Sehun starts smiling into his ramyun.

He has been dating the botanist now for a month and a half. It has been great so far; Sehun finds himself falling deeper every second. There was nothing he didn't like about Seokjin, even his terrible dad jokes. Sure, he groaned and palmed his face, but Seokjin’s satisfied giggle at telling a joke always send Sehun’s heart lurching and he couldn’t help but smile back.

Kyungsoo suddenly says, “What’s so funny about your ramyun?”

Zitao chuckles, leaning on the table and cupping his chin, all grins, “Probably thinking about Seokjin, eh?”

Sehun rolls his eyes again and grumbles, his face warm at getting caught, “Just go be disgusting somewhere else.”

Lunch gets over soon and as Sehun is making his way back to the office, he gets a message from the man now occupying his thoughts all the time. Sehun reads the message:  _ Hey, noona is going out tonight, I was thinking that maybe you can come over? I picked some meat at the market today. _

Another great thing about Seokjin is that he is an awesome cook. Sehun doesn’t see why he should even refuse that offer, so he quickly sends a yes and prays from the bottom of his heart no one gets murdered tonight. They usually only find time during weekends to date and even if they manage a weekday date, someone or the other in this town would choose that time to get stabbed or shot at. He loves his job as a detective sergeant, but he also likes his boyfriend more, so please, he pleads to all the gods above, let no one get killed tonight of all nights.

 

Sehun lucks out; no one gets murdered and he breezes out of the station at eight. Even the traffic is on his side as he gets to the gardens sooner than expected. He takes the side entrance to the gardens, reserved for employees and parks his car close to the office. He walks the rest of the way to the lodge. The path by the office takes to the lodge’s backyard and to his delight, he finds Seokjin in the backyard, putting down plates and bowls. Sehun opens the garden gate and Seokjin looks up in alarm, but his wide eyes turn into slits as he smiles, rushing down to greet his boyfriend.

Sehun opens his arms and Seokjin fits himself into it with an ease that always sets Sehun’s heart aflutter. Seokjin is only three inches shorter than him but he always manages to make himself smaller, even with his broad shoulders, broader than Sehun’s, as he presses his face into Sehun’s shoulder and mumbles, “You are relatively early.”

Sehun chuckles as he wraps his arms around Seokjin, squeezing him slightly. Seokjin laughs in protest and pulls back, his hands spread out on Sehun’s chest. Seokjin tilts his head, lips slightly pursed, silently asking Sehun, who is only so strong as he swiftly presses a kiss on those luscious lips. Seokjin hums and kisses Sehun back before leaning back and smacking Sehun’s shoulder, “You really should have told me you were getting here an hour before I expected you. The meat’s only been marinating for like an hour!”

Sehun presses another kiss on Seokjin’s jaw as he apologises, all solemn, “Forgive this fool for letting your meat not marinate enough. I will eat anything you shall offer.”

Seokjin laughs out loud; he skips back, grabs Sehun by his wrist and pulls him in. “I know you will!”

Sehun is pushed down on the picnic table outside, under the magnolia tree. A soft pink flower floats to the table and Sehun cups it in his hand, marvelling at how pretty the flower is. Seokjin had set the table already, so he refuses Sehun’s assistance, but the latter doesn’t pay any heed as he steps inside the house anyway. He finds Seokjin removing the cling wrap over the bowl of meat and he comes to stand behind. Seokjin yelps a little when Sehun wraps his hands around his waist, scolding him, “Oh Sehun!”

Sehun chuckles as he presses a kiss on Seokjin’s nape. “Can I help?”

Seokjin huffs, “I told you I got this!”

Sehun presses another kiss under Seokjin’s jaw. “Please?”

Honestly, Seokjin is jumping out of his skin every time Sehun presses his lips on it. Pretty much after their first date, Seokjin realised Sehun  _ loves  _ kissing him, whether on his mouth or anywhere else. And he loves getting kissed too. They haven’t completely gone all the way yet, but each small kiss on his face or neck would leave Seokjin itching for more. He doesn’t quite know how to vocalise it to Sehun yet though. 

Seokjin looks down at Sehun’s hands on his waist and notes the flower peeking through his fingers. He picks it out, murmuring, “You know, magnolias symbolizes gentleness.”

Sehun puts his chin on Seokjin’s shoulder and hums, “Oh really?”

Seokjin smiles as he puts the flower behind Sehun’s ear. “Like you, I suppose. The tree is all big and strong but the flowers are the gentlest, prettiest things.” He cups Sehun’s face and his smile is achingly tender as he whispers, “Reminds me of the first time we met.”

Sehun feels his face warming up at Seokjin’s words. He leans into Seokjin’s touch and smiles, “Still think you are prettier though.”

Seokjin huffs and pushes Sehun back, who grins at the blush on the older’s face. He hands Sehun the bowl and orders, “Take this outside now, and turn the stove on.”

“Yes sir!” Sehun takes the bowl outside and Seokjin joins him soon after with a chilled bottle of white wine. They sit down and start cooking the meat, which as Sehun knew would be as delicious if it had been marinating longer. Sehun kisses Seokjin’s hand, complimenting him, just to see his face turning redder. 

Seokjin even made dessert and Sehun can’t help but feel his heart swell with fondness. Seokjin does spoil him at times, he thinks. Sehun complained once that he misses home-cooked food and how he only knows a whole of three recipes that he can make without fucking up, and Seokjin kind of took it on himself to make him whatever he wants. Usually, Sandara joins them, but tonight, it does feel like a proper date.

Sehun nurses his glass of wine as he turns his body to look at Seokjin in the kitchen. The older man is dressed down in his usual baggy t-shirt and plain black shorts. But in the soft yellow light of the kitchen, as Seokjin scoops something out of a Tupperware box, Sehun thinks he is indeed a very lucky man.

Seokjin turns around, a tray in hand when he finds Sehun looking at him, a soft, indulgent smile on his face. Seokjin feels himself blushing, he knows that look, though he doesn’t know what it means. He has often found Sehun looking at him like he is the greatest thing in the world, and it makes Seokjin’s heart beat a little faster, makes his lungs push for air harder and has his stomach doing some intense acrobatics. In all, Seokjin doesn’t know if he likes it or hates it.

Sehun talks about a case over the tiramisu Seokjin made and the latter is thoroughly fascinated by the story the sergeant is telling. Sehun is fallen into the habit of discussing his cases with Seokjin and sometimes the other provides interesting insights. Seokjin and Sehun soon finish the delicious dessert and they help each other in clearing out the table and putting them in the dishwasher. They return to the table, the wine stil half-finished. Seokjin pours them both a glass and is about to sit opposite Sehun when the latter pulls him down beside him. Seokjin lands on the bench with a low “oof” and falls against Sehun, who chuckles. But Seokjin doesn’t move, he picks his glass up and puts his head on Sehun’s shoulder.  

The stars are out tonight and the late summer zephyr blows through the garden, picking up the scent from the herb garden and bringing it to them. Sehun takes a big whiff, and his lungs fill with that and the soft woody scent of Seokjin’s shampoo. Sehun likes how the way Seokjin smells sometimes an extension of the garden, of nature itself. It’s like Seokjin is so entrenched in it that he has started to complement it. They don’t speak much, just enjoying the quietness and the occasional nightbird’s song piercing through the hush. Seokjin finishes his drink and pushes himself up, getting a refill.

Sehun watches Seokjin straighten himself up and pour himself a drink. His shirt has started slipping down one shoulder, exposing his collarbones, and Sehun swallows. The garden is illuminated by starlight and the yellow light from the kitchen. They wash over Seokjin, making him seem too ethereal, too mellow and Sehun can’t help himself as he leans forward, kissing the back of Seokjin’s ear.

Seokjin is surprised, and the bottle almost slips from his hand. He puts it down and turns his head to look at Sehun, who has  _ that look  _ in his eyes again and Seokjin swallows, mumbling, “What...”

Sehun looks into Seokjin’s eyes, brown and expectant, and he can’t help but feel his desire for this man consume him a bit. “You,” Sehun exhales before his lips press against Seokjin’s.

Seokjin sighs; Sehun kisses him all tender and sweet, which melts him. He tilts his head to the side and parts his lips, trapping Sehun’s lip between his, tugging it. He hears Sehun groan and card his fingers through his hair, and Sehun’s other hand splays on the small of back, the heat of his skin searing through his t-shirt.

Sehun discovered he liked kissing Seokjin a bit too much since the first date. Seokjin has the softest lips in existence and the fact that Sehun has all that and more to himself, and he is the only one who gets to see those lips after being kissed, all red and swollen, makes him feel crazy. So, he pulls back slightly only to return to lick into Seokjin’s mouth, who mewls when their tongues brush against each other.

Seokjin can taste wine and smoke, and a tiny voice in his head reprimands Sehun for it, but he can forget about that for now as Sehun’s hand drops from his neck to his exposed knee. Sehun’s touch is hot, scalding against his, and he doesn’t care that the hand is reaching higher and higher, dipping under the hem, now digging his blunt nails into his thigh. 

Seokjin always wants more, but he is too shy to ask for it. But tonight, he definitely drank more than Sehun and he wouldn’t say he is drunk, more like buzzed and he knows the alcohol is just making him brave enough to act on his intentions. So, without breaking the kiss, he swings his leg around Sehun’s waist and pulling back slightly, hoists himself up into Sehun’s lap.

The younger makes a choking noise as Seokjin straddles him. He is not complaining about the change of events, oh no, he is rather keening inside and he can feel all his blood rushing south when Seokjin attaches his mouth to his again, his tongue prodding in, eager to kiss Sehun breathless. And Sehun doesn’t know how to refuse Seokjin, doesn’t quite have the strength to do so.

Seokjin tangles his fingers in Sehun’s hair while the other puts his on Seokjin’s waist, bunching the t-shirt in his grip. Soon, he slips his hand underneath the cotton and kneads the heated flesh, his nails scratching against it. Seokjin trembles in his arms and Sehun crows inside his head. 

Seokjin feels lightheaded but he doesn’t want to stop. Sehun has never touched him like that before and he decides he loves it, and other parts of his body tingles in anticipation. He pulls back for air and Sehun takes this opportunity to tug his head back by his harsh grip on his hair and putting his mouth on Seokjin’s neck.

Seokjin gasps when he feels Sehun’s teeth nipping at his skin; they have made out before, marking each other and they even ended up jerking each other off, and Seokjin wonders if perhaps, they can push further tonight. When Sehun is sucking a mark into his pulse, Seokjin moans, his voice pleading and lustful as he says, “Sehun-ah, please, please.”

“Please what?” Sehun asks, his tongue tracing Seokjin’s lobe. 

Seokjin decides to show than tell, so he grabs Sehun’s hand and puts it over his crotch, where his cock is slowly hardening. Sehun groans and sinks his teeth into the juncture of Seokjin’s neck and shoulder. Seokjin gasps and writhes in his hold as he starts moving his hand over the bulge. Seokjin gulps, “Please Sehun-ah, I want you so bad.” 

Seokjin is all breathy in his ear and Sehun groans. “God, yes. I want you so much too hyung.”

“Bedroom, now,” Seokjin says and extricates himself from Sehun with much disdain. As much as he would love Sehun to take him right here, right now, he rather have his first time with his boyfriend on a bed.

Sehun doesn’t ask questions as he lets Seokjin drag him inside. They make their way upstairs and Sehun realises he has never seen Seokjin’s room. Seokjin opens the door and turns the light on. Sehun hardly gets a good look at the bedroom before Seokjin shuts the door after him and is pushing him against the door, his mouth on Sehun’s again.  _ Fuck,  _ Sehun thinks as he Seokjin presses his entire body against his,  _ this is really happening. _

It is like some fevered dream and Sehun can’t tell what is going on through the haze of desire surrounding his senses. It’s all Seokjin, his lips, his hands, his breath, the scalding heat of his skin, and Sehun gives in. Sehun wants to tear his clothes, wants to tear Seokjin’s clothes off as well and get rid of his heat simmering in his veins. Perhaps Seokjin thinks the same as he breaks the kiss, his fingers shaking as he tries to unbutton Sehun’s shirt. He grumbles, “I hate buttons.”

Sehun laughs as he looks at Seokjin, all flushed and his lips are so pretty and swollen that Sehun returns to kiss him again. Seokjin obviously has his mind on getting Sehun out of his shirt, so he whines when Sehun kisses him, but it dissolves into a moan when Sehun nips at his lower lip, sucking on it. 

Seokjin finally manages to unbutton the shirt and pushes it off Sehun’s shoulder. His hand comes resting on Sehun’s firm abdomen and Sehun groans when Seokjin’s hands move upwards, till his blunt nails rakes over his nipples. Seokjin’s hands trail all over his chest and back before resting on his hips. Sehun pushes his hips forward, and their similar height ensures Seokjin feels his erection right on his crotch. 

Seokjin groans when Sehun pushes, he pushes back as well. Sehun’s hands splay on his butt, squeezing the flesh and Seokjin thinks he has had enough—he needs to get out of these clothes. He pulls his shirt up and walks backwards; Sehun gets his hint and grabs his hips. Sehun kisses down the side of Seokjin’s neck and across his shoulder as he pushes the latter down on the mattress.  

Seokjin yields under the sudden domination Sehun shows. He kisses Sehun deeply, wanting the other to understand how much he wants him, this, and now. And, god, Seokjin under him, is a wonder, a treasure, and something grows in Sehun’s chest, glowing, delirious, that  _ this,  _ this is all his. He cups Seokjin’s cheek, his thumb sitting on Seokjin’s lips, soft and wet, parted, exhaling, panting. He is so beautiful, and Sehun can’t even fathom where to begin.

Seokjin whispers, “You are doing that again.”

Sehun quirks an eyebrow, “Doing what again?”

Seokjin’s cheeks are suffused the lightest shade of pink, and it travels down his chest too. “Looking,” he mumbles, unable to meet Sehun’s burning gaze.

Sehun chuckles, understanding. He tucks his head under Seokjin’s chin and kisses down the pale column of his neck before sucking a mark into his collarbone. When his mouth hovers over one pink bud, Sehun mumbles, “Can’t help it hyung, you are too beautiful.”

Seokjin’s response gets lost in his throat as he ends up moaning when Sehun wraps his lips around his nipple. He bites, sucks and licks, hurting and soothing all at once, and Seokjin throws his head back, arches his back and moans louder when Sehun’s hand wraps around his clothed cock, moving across his length achingly slow. Seokjin’s fingers curl around Sehun’s biceps as he pants, “Please, please, touch me.”

Sehun kisses a wake of reverence down Seokjin’s chest as he goes lower and lower, driving Seokin crazier at each touch, at each gentle nip. Sehun drags the shorts down Seokjin’s legs and grins when he notes the absence of underwear. He wraps his fingers around Seokjin’s cock and strokes it, his hand fisted loosely around the girth.

Seokjin whimpers, his body aflame, his fingers going back and forth to either clutch at the bedsheet or Sehun’s hair. Sehun grazes his teeth over Seokjin’s hip before his lips are pressed against the tip of Seokjin’s cock, flicking his tongue. Seokjin braves a look down and groans when he finds Sehun’s lips wrapped around his cock, his head bobbing as he swallows each inch.

Seokjin feels his entire body is on fire, he is too hot and the warmth around his cock isn’t helping things. He doesn’t want his release, not like this, he  _ needs  _ more. He cries, “Sehun, Sehun, please!”

“Yes?” Sehun raises himself on his forearms, his teeth grazing over the throbbing pulse on Seokjin’s neck. “What is it that you want?” Seokjin looks at him, his lips glistening, parted as a small frown graces his face, as if questioning why Sehun is even asking that redundant question. Sehun grabs Seokjin’s hand and plants a kiss on each finger as he says, “Tell me hyung.”

Seokjin throws his head to the side as he groans, his cheeks burning, “You, now, please, I want you in me.”

Sehun chokes when Seokjin turns to look at him, the look in his face fighting between arousal and embarrassment. Sehun nods and kisses Seokjin, deeply, tearing a strangled moan from him. Sehun pulls back and exhales, “Where—”

“There,” Seokjin points at the small bedside table. “Bottom drawer.” Sehun follows and finds a box of condoms and a bottle of lube in the drawer. Sehun’s question is on the tip of his tongue when Seokjin laughs, all breathily, “I put them there a while ago, looking for the right moment, you know.”

Sehun grins as he uncaps the bottle, coating his fingers with the lube. Seokjin bites down on his lip as he watches Sehun, and the latter gets the breath knocked out from his lungs when he notes the pure lust gleaming in Seokjin’s eyes. Sehun asks, his voice low, “You want this so bad, don’t you?”

Seokjin’s face heats up, but he nods and spreads his legs wider, his fingers flexing on Sehun’s forearms. He closes his eyes when he feels Sehun’s finger tracing his rim, teasing with his light touch. He groans and he hears Sehun laugh, probably enjoying his desperation. But, Sehun cuts it short and slips in the first finger. 

Sehun takes his sweet time to open Seokjin out, his fingers long and bony and  _ perfect. _ They scrape against his walls and hit him right where he wants. His back arches and his moans spill from his lips without his volition. He feels Sehun’s mouth against his neck again, sucking another mark as his fingers pump in and out of him, unrelenting. Sehun groans against his ear, his voice low and gritty, “God, hyung, you make the best sounds, you know.”

Seokjin feels the embarrassment hitting him but Sehun’s scissors his fingers, jabbing harsh and fast at his prostate and Seokjin forgets all about his embarrassment as he cries out, “Sehun!”

Sehun understands, so he quickly removes his fingers and tears through a packet of condom. Seokjin pants as he watches Sehun rolls the rubber down his cock before lathering it with lube. Seokjin licks his lips when Sehun pumps his own cock; their eyes meet and Sehun quirks an eyebrow. Seokjin stomps down the urge to roll his eyes as he says, “Oh, shut up.”

Sehun chuckles as he leans over Seokjin again. His fingers push back the now sweaty bangs off Seokjin’s temple and whispers, “As you wish.” And then, he pushes in, the tip of his cock breaches just past and Seokjin gets all his air rushing out of his lungs all at once.

Seokjin grabs Sehun’s shoulders and shuts his eyes, trying to focus on the way Sehun’s cock inches in, slowly, steadily. He wills away the burn, the slight pain, because it had been a while but  _ god _ , he is loving this. The way Sehun bottoms out, his cock nestling just right out of reach of his prostate. The younger curls over Seokjin, he moans under his breath, “Hyung, you are so tight, oh my god.” Sehun raises himself and his cock shifts the slightest inside Seokjin, which makes him whimper, and Sehun says, “You okay?”

Seokjin licks his lips as he looks up at Sehun, his eyes glassy and his cheeks flushed the prettiest pink. “Yeah, yeah, I am good.” He rubs Sehun’s lip and mumbles, “Kiss me?”

Sehun immediately obeys, latching his mouth to Seokjin’s, swallowing his moan when he starts pulling out, only to push right back in, his pace steady and measured no matter how much he wants to thrust harder because Seokjin is hot and tight around him, he still wants to make this as good for Seokjin as it feels for him. Soon, when Seokjin sends him a look, Sehun picks up the pace. Seokjin’s moans get louder and shameless, and Sehun thrives off it. It only seems to spur him on, make him moan along when Seokjin chases each thrust, clenching tighter and tighter around his length. Sehun laces their hands near Seokjin’s head and snaps his hips, rolling them and feels proud at the way Seokjin’s face twists with pleasure. Sehun nudges Seokjin’s leg up, throwing it over his shoulder, bending the older man in half but keeps the other leg down, his hand pushed on his thigh, his nails sinking into the flesh.

Sehun knows he is getting closer, he feels it, the coiling in his abdomen, the heightening tension of it as Sehun pounds into him. But then, Sehun changes the angle and he cries; this way, Sehun fucks him harder, more ruthlessly and Seokjin swears he sees stars behind his eyes. He clutches at Sehun’s shoulder, and he wonders if he draws blood as he moans, “Oh god, Sehun, oh yes,  _ yes _ !”

The bed creaks, Seokjin slides up the bed at each thrust and the bedsheet has slipped off the bed completely. There is only their bodies, the heat, the impossible, unquestionable, primal need driving them, edging them closer and closer to their unravelling. Sehun can feel he is getting close to his climax. He lets Seokjin’s leg slip off his shoulder, but then Seokjin wraps his legs around his waist, locking his ankles on Sehun’s back as he winds his hand down, eager to reach his end as well.

Sehun moans as Seokjin tightens his walls around him. He tucks his head against Seokjin’s neck as he comes after a few thrusts, filling his condom. Seokjin groans when he feels Sehun’s orgasm inside him. Sehun doesn’t pull out but puts his hand on Seokjin’s cock and soon, Seokjin follows, ropes of white landing on both their bodies.

Sehun pulls out, removing the condom and ties it off before locating the trash bin and throwing it in; he flops down beside Seokjin, his chest on the mattress as he watches Seokjin catch his breath, his eyes closed and his plump lips parted, gasping. Seokjin turns his head to look at him, his bangs plastered to his forehead as he smiles, all slow and sweet, “That was something.”

Sehun feels his cheeks burning, “Yeah?” He pushes himself up and uses the bedsheet pooled on the floor to wipe the cum off Seokjin’s torso. The older man hums, closing his eyes. Sehun hovers him after he is done and Seokjin notices he has that look in his eyes again. He pouts and Sehun chuckles before kissing him, slow and tender, taking his time to part Seokjin’s lips and licks into his mouth.

Seokjin sighs, his toes curling at the kiss, a complete contrast to their activities before. Sehun breaks the kiss and lies down again, his arm thrown over Seokjin’s waist and mouth pressed on Seokjin’s shoulder. He hums, “You are amazing, hyung.”

Seokjin grins, running his fingers through Sehun’s hair. “You are not that awful yourself, Sehun-ah.”

“Hey, maybe I can ride you next time, what do you say?”

Seokjin starts laughing and Sehun swoops in for another kiss.

 

Morning breaks and Sehun is the first to wake up. He finds Seokjin’s head on his chest, his cheek squished against his chest, his eyelashes kissing the top of his cheeks, his lips parted slightly and his fingers fisted near Sehun’s heart. Sehun smiles, tightening his arms around Seokjin, who makes a low purring sound before quieting down and his breath getting even again. Sehun nuzzles into Seokjin’s hair and his heart swells with fondness. 

Last night was amazing, Sehun sighs as his fingers lightly run over Seokjin’s back. He can hear birds chirping outside and the sun spills into the room, the walls painted light pink now that Sehun notices. He enjoys this, the silence, the birds and the warm, welcome weight in his arms. However, all good things must end and Sehun’s phone starts ringing, and he knows it is from the station since he has a special ringtone for every call coming from the police station.

Seokjin jerks awake and Sehun groans. Seokjin recognises the ringtone immediately, he has heard it enough during their times together. He blinks up at Sehun, eyes blurry and cheeks flushed. He tries to get up and remove himself from Sehun, but the latter whines and pulls him closer, “No, I don’t want to!” He huffs, “Why can’t people stop getting murdered for one fucking day…”

Seokjin chuckles, “Oh come on, Oh Sehun, you have a duty and I am good tax paying citizen.”

Sehun groans, “How can you already be like this first thing in the morning?”

Seokjin gets up anyway; he locates the phone on the floor, still in Sehun’s trousers that was gracelessly chucked last night. He gets down from the bed and Sehun puts his hands behind his head as he watches Seokjin traverse the room in all his naked glory. Sehun whistles and Seokjin turns his head around to throw him a half-hearted glare. Seokjin finds the phone and hands it to Sehun before he goes off to retrieve his clothing. 

Sehun takes the call and groans inwardly when he gets his summons. Seokjin has dressed in the meantime and he chuckles at the dark scowl on Sehun’s face. He picks up the rest of Sehun’s clothes and throws it in his lap. Sehun murmurs, “And here I thought we could grab breakfast together by the cafe near the river.”

Seokjin sits down in front of him, kisses Sehun’s cheek and the affection shining bright in his eyes makes Sehun’s heart skip multiple beats. The older man says, “That is a nice thought. But you know I know, your duty calls.”

Sehun smiles; he cups Seokjin’s face and brushes his lips against his. He says, “You are wonderful.”

Seokjin grins putting his foot down again. “Now come on sergeant Oh! Go catch me some criminals and I might show up at your office with some leftover tiramisu, hm?”

Sehun grins back. “That sounds great.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hi, another thing. so my laptop is whacked and therein lies my other WIPs and I couldn't not write anything till it gets fixed so I started this fic on my google docs. So, yeah, do read this if you want till my laptop returns and I can get on to finishing Guns & Roses [i have been writing it for a year now??? damn]


End file.
